Watercolourist, noted for sensitive portrayals of young girls, often ballerinas, and the English and French landscape, born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, who attended the College of Art there, 1922–3, then Central School of Arts and Crafts, 1923–6. Joined the advertising agency J Walter Thompson in 1925, soon becoming head of art and a director, holding both posts until 1960. Butler married Kcenia Kotliaresvskaya in 1933 and they had two children. After living in London and Hertfordshire, after World War II they moved to Bakewell, Derbyshire. From 1960–80 lived partly in Provence, France, building a house there. For J Walter Thompson Butler carried out commissions in Berlin and New York; he pioneered new techniques such as overhead photography and prepared the agency for commercial television; and among talents chosen by him were David Hicks the interior designer, Alexander Mackendrick the film director and artist Bridget Riley.