Institute of Painters in Watercolours (1)

The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), initially called the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, is one of the societies in the

Federation of British Artists The Federation of British Artists (FBA) consists of nine art societies, and is based at Mall Galleries in London where the societies' Annual Exhibitions are held. The societies represent living artists working in the United Kingdom who create co ...

, based in the Mall Galleries in London.

History

In 1831 the society was founded as the ''New Society of Painters in Water Colours'', competing with the

Royal Watercolour Society The Royal Watercolour Society is a British institution of painters working in watercolours. The Society is a centre of excellence for water-based media on paper, which allows for a diverse and interesting range of approaches to the medium of wat ...

(RWS), which had been founded in 1804. The founding members were

William Cowen William Cowen (18 June 1791 – 29 January 1864) was an English landscape painter. His work includes views of towns in Yorkshire, Italy, France, Ireland and particularly Corsica. Life Cowen was born in Rotherham in 1791 and worked teaching d ...

, James Fudge, Thomas Maisey (treasurer), O. F. Phillips, Joseph Powell (president),

W. B. S. Taylor William Benjamin Sarsfield Taylor (1781–1850) was an Irish artist, a painter of landscapes and military subjects, known also as a writer. Life He was the son of John Taylor, a map-engraver in Dublin; through his mother he was descended from Pat ...

, and

Thomas Charles Wageman Thomas Charles Wageman (1787 – 20 June 1863) was a British painter, engraver and author. He was known as a prolific portrait artist. Wageman was a founder of the New Society of Painters in Water-Colours in 1831 together with William Cowen, J ...

. The New Society differed from the RWS in policy, by exhibiting non-members' work also. Both societies challenged the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purp ...

's refusal to accept the medium of

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

s as appropriate for serious art. In 1839 Henry Warren (1794–1879) became president of the society and was re-elected for many years until he resigned due to failing eyesight. In 1863 there was a name change to the ''Institute of Painters in Water Colours''. In 1883 it acquired its own premises at

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Cou ...

, across the road from the Royal Academy. In 1885 it added "Royal" to its title by command of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

. When the lease to the Piccadilly premises ran out in 1970, it moved to the Mall Galleries, near to

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commem ...

Royal Institute Galleries

The premises at 190-195 Piccadilly hosted many exhibitions by other societies and were known simply as "Royal Institute Galleries". It is now a grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

. Number 195 is now home to BAFTA.

Prominent members

* Anna Airy * Mike Bernardmember list, RI
/ref> * George Henry Boughton''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' * Henry Charles Brewer * Randolph Caldecott *

Princess Patricia of Connaught Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay, (born Princess Patricia of Connaught; 17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Upon her marriage to Alexander Ramsay, she relinquished her title of a British prin ...

* Fanny Corbaux *

Walter Crane Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and ...

* Charles Dixon *

Sam Dodwell Samuel William Dodwell RI (1909 in Wandsworth, London – 1990 in Truro) was an English painter. Life and work Sam Dodwell discovered painting at an early age and at the age of 18, while visiting Cornwall on holiday, decided that the count ...

Lionel Edwards Lionel Edwards (9 November 1878 – 13 April 1966) was a British artist who specialised in painting horses and other aspects of British country life. He is best known for his hunting scenes but also painted pictures of horse racing, shootin ...

Bernard Walter Evans Bernard Walter Evans (26 December 1843 – 26 February 1922) was a British landscape painter and watercolourist in the Romantic style, working mainly in Birmingham, Wales, London, Cannes and the North Riding of Yorkshire. Because he used a ...

Emily Farmer Emily Farmer (25 July 1826, London - 8 May 1905, Portchester, Hampshire) was an English watercolour painter. Life She was one of three children of John Biker Farmer, who worked for the East India Company, and his wife Frances Ann (née Frost). ...

Kate Greenaway Catherine Greenaway (17 March 18466 November 1901) was an English Victorian artist and writer, known for her children's book illustrations. She received her education in graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 from the Finsbury School of ...

Edward John Gregory Edward John Gregory , PPRBSA (19 April 185022 June 1909), was a British painter. Biography Gregory was born in Southampton on 19 April 1850. He was grandson of John Gregory, engineer-in-chief of the auxiliary engines in Sir John Franklin's la ...

* Louis Haghe * John Hassall *

Eleanor Hughes Eleanor Mary Hughes ( Waymouth), (3 April 1882 – 1959) was a New Zealand landscape artist who mostly painted in watercolours. She settled and worked in Britain and became an active member of the Newlyn School of artists and the nearby L ...

William Knight Keeling William Knight Keeling (1807–1886) was a British (Victorian) artist, an illustrator of Walter Scott's novels and Shakespeare's plays, a founder member and the third President of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. Background and Career ...

* Sir Coutts Lindsay * Sir James Linton *

John Seymour Lucas John Seymour Lucas (21 December 1849 – 8 May 1923) was a Victorian English historical and portrait painter, as well as an accomplished theatrical costume designer. He was born into an artistic London family (he was the nephew of the painter ...

Fortunino Matania Chevalier Fortunino Matania (16 April 1881 – 8 February 1963) was an Italian artist noted for his realistic portrayal of World War I trench warfare and of a wide range of historical subjects. Life Born in Naples, the son of artist Eduardo Mat ...

* Alfred Munnings * Charles Robinson *

Frank O. Salisbury Francis Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874 – 31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both si ...

Francis Job Short Sir Francis Job "Frank" Short PPRE (19 June 1857 – 22 April 1945) was a British printmaker and teacher of printmaking. He revived the practices of mezzotint and pure aquatint, while expanding the expressive power of line in drypoint, etc ...

* William Simpson * Julia SorrellRI Members List
*

John Tenniel Sir John Tenniel (; 28 February 182025 February 1914)Johnson, Lewis (2003), "Tenniel, John", ''Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online'', Oxford University Press. Web. Retrieved 12 December 2016. was an English illustrator, graphic humorist and pol ...

Arthur Wardle Arthur Wardle (1864–1949) was a British painter. Born in London, aged just sixteen Wardle had a piece displayed at the Royal Academy. His first exhibit was a study of cattle by the River Thames, leading to a lifelong interest in painting ...

Edmund George Warren Edmund George Warren (1834–1909) was a British landscapist who worked in both Watercolor painting, watercolours and Oil painting, oils. Warren lived first in London, then later in Chudleigh Devon, South-West England. He was acknowledged as the ...

John William Waterhouse John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...

Harrison Weir Harrison William Weir (5 May 18243 January 1906), known as "The Father of the Cat Fancy", was a British artist. He organised the first cat show in England, at the Crystal Palace, London, in July 1871. He and his brother, John Jenner Weir, ...

Leslie Arthur Wilcox Leslie Arthur Wilcox, RI, RSMA (13 March 1904 – 11 January 1982) was an English artist known mainly for his marine works in oils. He was also a watercolourist, illustrator, poster artist, marine model-maker and author. He was for some ye ...

* Norman Wilkinson * William Barnes Wollen * William Wyld

Honorary Members

* Sir James C Harris *

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

References

External links

*
Mall Galleries
{{Authority control British artist groups and collectives 19th-century art groups 1831 establishments in the United Kingdom British art British contemporary art

Water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...