▁artist . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁painting ▁studio ▁in ▁Paris . ▁His ▁entries ▁in ▁phone ▁directories ▁for ▁forty ▁years ▁– ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁up ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁– ▁register ▁him ▁as ▁him ▁' Or de , ▁C uth bert ; ▁Art ist '. ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁Pil ots ▁of ▁F ighter ▁Command : ▁Si xty ▁Four ▁Port ra its , ▁Or de ▁wrote ▁an ▁ess ay ▁explaining ▁the ▁circumstances ▁of ▁his ▁port ra its ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁pil ots . ▁ ▁Having ▁been ▁h ired ▁to ▁produce ▁illustr ations ▁of ▁bom ber ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁Air ▁Com mod ore ▁Har ald ▁Pe ake ▁from ▁the ▁Air ▁Ministry ▁saw ▁some ▁of ▁Or de ' s ▁draw ings ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁his ▁portrait ure . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Britain ▁and ▁public ▁attention ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁f ighter ▁pil ots . ▁Pe ake ▁asked ▁Or de ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁port ra its ▁of ▁them , ▁Or de ▁enthus iast ically ▁agreed , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁September ▁set ▁off ▁to ▁work . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁unclear ▁how ▁many ▁port ra its ▁he ▁drew ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁or ▁so ▁with ▁F ighter ▁Command . ▁Some ▁sources ▁say ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 , ▁though ▁Or de ▁only ▁lists ▁ 1 6 0 ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Pil ots ▁of ▁F