The South Kensington Museum, later the Victoria and Albert, opened in 1857. The first catalogue of the museum's collection of watercolours was published only nineteen years later in 1876, by which time the museum had acquired nearly 500 watercolours, today the collection numbers many thousands.
What is a Watercolour?
Watercolour paint is made by mixing pigments with a binder, usually gum arabic, and then applying it with water to a support such as vellum (fine animal skin) or paper.
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: The Landscape Genre
The rise of watercolour painting in Britain was closely tied to a growing acceptance in 18th century Britain of 'landscape' as an appropriate subject for painting. In the 1…
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Learning to Look - Landscape and the Imagination
From the 1750s drawing increasingly formed part of the education of both gentlemen and ladies. Many watercolour painters were also drawing masters, and encouraged students …
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Developing Subjects for Landscape Painting
From the middle of the 18th century a number of British writers sought to define and categorise human responses to natural phenomena, most notably Edmund Burke with his exp…
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Depicting the Elements
According to the drawing master, Alexander Cozens, landscape could be codified into three categories: 'Composition', 'Objects' and 'Circumstance'. The last included the sea…
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: J M W Turner and John Ruskin
The critic John Ruskin wrote of J.M.W. Turner, 'there were two men associated with Turner in early study, who showed high promise, Cozens and Girtin, and there is no saying…
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Depicting Trees
Early 18th century topographical artists had conventionally represented trees using squiggles and zigzags. These indicated the general appearance of a tree rather than the …
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Depicting the Coast
Early British traditions of paintings of the sea were primarily connected with the Navy, and the main focus was notable ships and battle scenes.
Read article
British watercolours 1750-1900: architecture as subject
Architectural topography had its roots in the antiquarian study of buildings of historical interest. A number of architectural painters were in fact first trained as archit…
Read article
British watercolours 1750-1900: travels in Europe and the Middle East
In the early 19th century more artists took advantage of the opportunities for foreign travel, exploring new subjects in the landscape and cultures of other countries.
Read article
British Watercolours 1750-1900: Landscape in the 19th Century
The rise of landscape painting in the 18th century encouraged the related field of genre painting: the portrayal of scenes from ordinary life. The inclusion of figures to e…
Read article
British watercolours 1750-1900: historical & literary genre
The 19th century saw a flowering of interest in history, encouraged by the publication in 1814 of the first of many historical novels by Sir Walter Scott.
Read article
British watercolours 1750-1900: illlustration into narrative
The popularity and success of the watercolour societies attracted many illustrators, such as Charles Green, into the field of watercolour painting. Green established his re…
Read article
British watercolours: still life & flower painting
Still life, the depiction of inanimate objects such as fruit, vegetables, dead game and household objects, became a popular subject for watercolour artists. Still lives app…
Read article
British watercolours 1750-1900: the watercolour societies of the 19th century
The establishment of exhibition societies was one of the great innovations in artistic life in 18th-century Britain. The Society of Artists opened in 1760 and the Royal Aca…
Read article
Become a V&A Member
V&A Members enjoy a wealth of benefits, including free entry to exhibitions, previews, exciting events and the V&A Members’ Room. In addition, you will be supporting the vital work of the V&A.
Buy or Renew Membership OnlineShop online
British Watercolours: 1750-1950
The art of watercolour has had a distinctive identity and history in Britain since the latter part of the eighteenth century, when British artists fir…
Buy nowEvent - Beatrix Potter and the beautiful satin waistcoat
Mon 03 June 2013 13:00
GALLERY TALK: Explore Beatrix Potter with Frances Willis.
Book online
