April 27, 2010
James Baker Pyne, born at Bristol, was a self-taught artist. He also is noted for his brilliant colouring, but there is a want of solidity in his painting. He visited the Continent and travelled as far as Italy. His landscapes were chiefly river and lake subjects. He published “The English Lake District” and “The Lake Scenery of England,” illustrated with lithographs of his works. He was a member of the Society of British Artists, and became a vice-president
.
“VIEW IN ITALY”
BY JAMES BAKER PYNE
(Size, 10¾ × 17 IN.)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: James Baker Pyne, Watercolor artist
September 8, 2009
Samuel Prout, one of the numerous Devonshire painters, also derived a great part of his income by giving instruction in drawing and painting. Numerous drawing copies for students were produced by him by means of soft-ground etching. He was at first employed by John Britton, the author of “The Beauties of England and Wales,” in making topographical drawings for this work. In 1819 he went to Normandy for the benefit of his health. There he turned his attention to producing those paintings of cathedrals and picturesque buildings for which he is noted. Later he travelled through Germany and Switzerland to Italy, and visited Rome and Venice. Afterwards he published facsimiles of many of the drawings executed during these tours on the Continent. They were produced in lithography by himself on the stone, an art in which he greatly excelled. The architectural drawings by Prout are remarkable for their picturesque treatment, rather than for correctness of construction. Details are sparsely indicated by the use of a reed pen. Bright effects of light and shade are, however, given, and the introduction of groups of figures add brilliancy to these paintings.
“PALAZZO CONTARINI FASAN
ON THE GRAND CANAL, VENICE”
BY SAMUEL PROUT
(Size, 16? × 11½ IN.)
(In the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: how to watercolor, PALAZZO CONTARINI FASAN ON THE GRAND CANA, SAMUEL PROUT, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, Watercolor Tips
September 5, 2009
The drawings by David Cox, although executed in an apparently careless manner, give a greater rendering of atmospheric qualities and of irradiation of light with a feeling of more movement than can be found in the works of Fielding. Cox’s early drawings were executed in a somewhat stiff and restrained manner, with a delicate finish, but afterwards his style became broad and he produced those breezy effects which are almost unrivalled. Boys Fishing is an excellent example of his later work. When Cox returned to his native town, Birmingham, he devoted his attention to working in oils, and the City Art Gallery possesses a superb collection of his paintings in this medium. He was for the greater part of his life a teacher of drawing, and he published a “Treatise on Landscape Painting and Effect in Water Colours,” in which his views are clearly stated
“BOYS FISHING”
BY DAVID COX
(Size, 10½ × 14½ IN.)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: boys fishing, David Cox, how to watercolor, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, Watercolor Tips
August 28, 2009
Peter De Wint, a descendant of an old merchant family of Amsterdam, like Glover, painted in oils and water colours, but his work was far superior. He selected broad and open country for his scenes, which were executed in a rich tone with a tendency to heavy uniform green. The neighbourhood of Lincoln, where his wife, a sister of W. Hilton, R.A., was born, had special attractions to him. St. Albans shows the abbey in the ruinous state it had become from the time of the Reformation. Its restoration was not commenced until 1856, under the direction of Sir Gilbert Scott, and completed later by Lord Grimthorpe.
“ST. ALBANS”
BY PETER DE WINT
(Size, 9¾ × 14½ IN.)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Peter De Wint, St. Albans by Peter De Wint, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, watercolour artist
August 23, 2009
John Glover was a landscape painter and produced works, both in oil and in water colours, into which he frequently introduced cattle. His father having been a small farmer may account for this partiality for animals.In water-color painting he followed the methods of William Payne, the inventor of a grey tint known as Payne’s grey, in producing foliage by splitting the hairs of his brush in order to give a feeling of lightness, and he was partial to sunlight effects.
He was President of the “Old” Society on two occasions, but he resigned his membership, so as to become eligible for election to the Royal Academy. He failed in his object and joined the Society of British Artists. Glover suddenly left England in 1831, and went to the Swan River Settlement in Australia. Afterwards he removed to Tasmania, where he died.
VIEW IN NORTH WALES by John Glover
“VIEW IN NORTH WALES”
BY JOHN GLOVER
(Size, 16? × 23 IN.)
(In the possession of Victor Rienaecker, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: how to watercolor, how to watercolour, john glover, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, watercolour artist
August 17, 2009
Amongst the founders the name of John Varley stands out beyond the others. He was born at Hackney in 1778. Receiving but little instruction in art besides the assistance given to him by Dr. Monro, he became a teacher of considerable reputation.Amongst his pupils were many who afterwards became famous. To mention only a few, there were William Mulready, who married his sister, Copley Fielding, who espoused his wife’s sister, W. Turner (of Oxford), David Cox, William H. Hunt, Oliver Finch and John Linnell. Varley was a prolific worker, and contributed more than seven hundred drawings to the “Old” Society, averaging about forty works annually. His style was broad and simple, with tints beautifully laid, without resort to stippling. He wrote some works on drawing and perspective. He also was an enthusiast in astrology, and compiled a “Treatise on Zodiacal Physiognomy.”
“HACKNEY CHURCH”
BY JOHN VARLEY
(Size, 11 × 15 IN.)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: HACKNEY CHURCH, how to watercolor, JOHN VARLEY, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, watercolour artist
August 6, 2009
John Sell Cotman, a member of the Norwich School, was another pioneer who did much for the advancement of water-colour painting. Unfortunately, his work was not appreciated during his career. If he had lived in the twentieth century he would have had no cause for the fits of depression to which he was subject during the greater part of life. It can be well recognised that in the first half of last century the public, who were mainly accustomed to carefully drawn topographical scenes, failed to appreciate such paintings as the Classical Scene, executed with such freedom and vigour. It was recently exhibited at the Special Exhibition of Cotman’s Paintings at the Tate Gallery, when five other classical landscape compositions were also shown. Cotman’s work was not understood. His paintings, both in oil and water colour, often only realised less than a pound apiece. He was compelled to resort to teaching in order to support his family. Eventually, through the influence of his friend, Lady Palgrave, and the strong support of Turner, he obtained the post of drawing-master at King’s College School, London. His position then became more secure. Still, teaching boys in the underground rooms of Somerset House could not have been inspiriting to one who yearned to seek Nature in the open air. He could not exclaim, like “Old” Crome, when he with his pupils was once met on the banks of the Yare, “This is our academy.” He died of a broken heart. At the beginning of the nineteenth century there was a feeling amongst the artists who worked solely in water colours that they were not being fairly treated by the Royal Academy. They were ineligible to be elected members of that body, and they were of opinion that their works were never placed in a prominent position on the walls of the galleries. William Frederick Wells, a friend of Turner and said to have suggested to him the idea of producing his “Liber Studiorum,” proposed to his fellow artists that they should form a separate society for the promotion of water-colour painting. After considerable negotiations, ten artists met together in November, 1804, and founded the Society of Painters in Water Colours. The first exhibition was held in the Spring of the following year at rooms in Lower Brook Street. After various vicissitudes and many changes of abode this society, known in later years as the “Old” Society, eventually obtained a lease of the premises in Pall Mall East. Thus, after much roving for seventeen years, a permanent home was secured, and the centenary of the occupation of these galleries has just been completed. Varley and Glover were two of the original members. 6 De Wint, Copley Fielding, David Cox and Samuel Prout were subsequently elected Associates, and afterwards became full members.
“CLASSICAL SCENE”
BY JOHN SELL COTMAN
(Size, 11½ × 8¼ IN.)
(In the possession of G. Bellingham Smith, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: classical scene, cotman, John Sell Cotman, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Artists, watercolor painting, watercolour artist
August 5, 2009
As limitation of space will not admit of giving any account of the life of Turner, already well known, it may be sufficient to say that Lucerne: Moonlight was painted in 1843, and was originally in the collection of Mr. H. A. J. Munro of Novar. Ruskin, who calls it a noble drawing in his “Notes on his Drawings by the late J. M. W. Turner,” makes a mistake in the title and describes it as Zurich by Moonlight.
“LUCERNE: MOONLIGHT”
BY J. M. W. TURNER, R.A.
(Size, 11½ × 18¾ IN.)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: J. M. W. Turner, lucerne moonlight, turner, watercolor, Watercolor artist
August 4, 2009
Girtin, during his short career, had no selfish ideas of keeping his knowledge of painting to himself. It was mainly due to his initiation that a club was started amongst a small body of young artists for the study of landscape painting. They met at each other’s houses in rotation. One of its prominent members was Sir Robert Ker Porter, a painter, traveller and author, who afterwards married a Russian princess. He was living, at the time, at 16, Great Newport Street, which had formerly been a residence of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and subsequently that of Dr. Samuel Johnson. It was in this house that the first meeting of the club was held “for the purpose of establishing by practice a School of Historic Landscape, the subjects being designs from poetick passages.” Writing in The Somerset House Gazette, in 1823, W. H. Pyne, under the pseudonym of Ephraim Hardcastle, states “this artist (Girtin) prepared his drawings on the same principle which had hitherto been confined to painting in oil, namely, with local colour, and shadowing the same with the individual tint of its own shadow. Previous to the practice of Turner and Girtin, drawings were shadowed first entirely throughout, whatever their component parts—houses, castles, trees, mountains, fore-grounds, middle-grounds, and distances, all with black or grey, and these objects were afterwards stained or tinted, enriched and finished, as is now the custom to colour prints. It was this new practice, introduced by these distinguished artists, that acquired for designs in water colour upon paper the title of paintings: a designation which many works of the existing school decidedly merit, as we lately beheld in the Exhibition of the Painters in Water Colours, where pictures of this class were displayed in gorgeous frames, bearing out in effect against the mass of glittering gold as powerfully as pictures in oil.” Girtin had a partiality for 5 painting in a low tone of colour and frequently on rough cartridge paper, which assisted in giving a largeness of manner to his work. The Landscape is, however, rendered in a brighter key than his usual practice.
LANDSCAPE
BY THOMAS GIRTIN
(Size, 12¼ × 20½ IN)
(In the possession of R. W. Lloyd, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: girtin, landscape, Thomas Girtin, Watercolor artist, watercolour
August 1, 2009
John Robert Cozens, the son of Alexander Cozens, was the first artist at this period “to break away from the trammels of topography, and to raise landscape painting in water colours to a branch of fine art.” He traveled abroad and studied principally in Italy and Switzerland. The lake of Nemi, situated in the Campagna, some sixteen miles west of Rome, and reached by the famous Via Appia, has always been a favourite subject with both poets and artists. Near the north rim of the 4 worn-out crater, in which the lake is situated, is the village of Nemi, surmounted by a fine old castle, which passed through the hands of many noble families. Pope, Byron, and others have sung the praises of the lake. Turner has left at least five drawings of it, one of which is engraved in Hakewell’s “Italy.” William Pars, Richard Wilson and other artists of the early landscape school also painted the scene. Cozens made many drawings of Nemi and the vicinity. Two are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and another is in the Whitworth Institute, Manchester. 
The painting, belonging to Mr. R. W. Lloyd, shows the lake with Palazzo Cesarini on a height by its side, and the Campagna in the distance. It is a fine example of Cozens’ work treated in his poetic manner, and into which more colour than usual has been introduced. Cozens’ last visit to Italy was made in 1782 in company with the noted William Beckford, the author of “Vathek.” On his return he gradually lost his reason. It is pathetic to think such was the sad end of a man inspired with such artistic talents. As it has already been stated, he was the pioneer in exalting water-color painting to a fine art. His footsteps were quickly followed by Girtin and Turner. The history of these two artists, how during their early struggles they were befriended by that art patron, Dr. Thomas Monro, a capable water-colour painter himself, and well qualified to give advice, is too well known to need repetition.
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: cozens, John Robert Cozens, lake nemi, landscape painting, watercolor, Watercolor artist
August 1, 2009
The reputation of Thomas Rowlandson, who could paint landscapes with great ability, rests upon his caricatures, which were usually drawn in outline and tinted. He lived a somewhat dissipated life, and possessed an abundant sense of humor, as displayed in the Entrance to Vauxhall Gardens , the noted place of amusement and rendezvous of the fashionable set in the early part of the last century.
“ENTRANCE TO VAUXHALL GARDENS”
BY THOMAS ROWLANDSON
(Size, 9 × 12? IN.)
(In the possession of Victor Rienaecker, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: old masters, Thomas Rowlandson, watercolor, Watercolor artist, watercolor landscapes
July 30, 2009
Francis Wheatley, R.A., was a topographical artist, but is better known as a painter of genre subjects, especially by the engravings after “The Cries of London.” Preparing for Market is a good example of his latter work, which was somewhat insipid.
“PREPARING FOR MARKET”
BY FRANCIS WHEATLEY, R.A.,
(Size, 14 × 10 IN.)
(In the possession of Messrs. Thos. Agnew & Sons)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Francis Wheatley, how to watercolor, Preparing for Market, topographical watercolor artist, watercolor, Watercolor artist
July 27, 2009
“SCOTCH LANDSCAPE”
BY JOSEPH FARINGTON, R.A.
(Size, 20¾ × 33¾ IN.)
(In the possession of Victor Rienaecker, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Joseph Farington, Watercolor artist, Watercolor Landscape
July 27, 2009
Thomas Hearne was a contemporary with Rooker. It was a custom at this period for topographical watercolor artists to travel abroad with British Embassies to foreign countries and with Governors to Colonial possessions. Photography had not yet been invented, and the drawings by these artists were the only means by which the majority of inhabitants of this island were able to obtain some idea of places beyond the sea. Hearne went to the Leeward Isles, as draughtsman to the Governor, and produced records of the scenery there. Afterwards he executed a number of drawings in this country, some of which were engraved in “Antiquities of Great Britain.” View of Gloucester is an example of his accurate drawing, though somewhat weak in colouring.
(In the possession of Victor Rienaecker, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Thomas Hearne, Watercolor artist
July 26, 2009
Amongst the early topographical watercolor artists was Michael (Angelo) Rooker, A.R.A. The additional Christian name is said to have been given to him by Paul Sandby, under whom he studied for some time. He made pedestrian tours through England, and executed a large number of drawings, which are remarkable for their accuracy and delicate treatment, such as the Village Scene.
(In the possession of Victor Rienaecker, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Rooker, Watercolor artist
July 26, 2009
The work of Francis Towne has only of recent years come to be appreciated as a watercolor artist. He belonged to a Devonshire family, but the exact place of his birth is not known. He became a friend of William Pars, A.R.A., from whom he received some instruction in drawing, and also went with him to Rome in 1780. Although he spent considerable time on the Continent, numerous drawings by him exist of scenes in his native country. On the Dart is a good example of his delicate method of painting. His special skill lay “in the management of even pen-line and in a subtle modulation of colour upon a flat surface.”
“ON THE DART”
BY FRANCIS TOWNE
(Size, 7 × 9¾ IN.)
(In the possession of A. E. Hutton, Esq.)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Francis Towne, Watercolor artist
July 25, 2009
The watercolor painter who is most generally regarded as being the father of watercolor painting was Paul Sandby, R.A. He first obtained employment in the Military Drawing Office of the Tower of London. Afterwards he resided with his elder brother, Thomas Sandby, at Windsor. At first he painted in the usual tinted manner of the period, but later he worked with body-colour, by which manner he added considerable richness to his drawings. Windsor Castle: View of the Round and Devil’s Towers from the Black Rock is an admirable example of his latter method. The drawing has been acquired through the Felton Bequest Fund, and now hangs in the National Gallery of Victoria. Paul Sandby was for many years the chief drawing-master at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was also appointed by George III to give instruction in drawing to his sons.
“WINDSOR CASTLE: VIEW OF THE ROUND AND
DEVIL’S TOWERS FROM THE BLACK ROCK”
BY PAUL SANDBY, R.A.
(Size, 11¾ × 17¼ IN.)
(Acquired by the National Art Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne)
Categories: Watercolor Artists.
Tags: Paul Sandby, Watercolor artist
