The Royal Watercolour Society is a British institution of painters working in

watercolours 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 ...

. 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 watercolour. Its members, or associates, use the postnominal initials RWS. They are elected by the membership, with typically half a dozen new associates joining the Society each year.

History

The society was founded as the ''Society of Painters in Water Colours'' in 1804 by

William Frederick Wells William Frederick Wells (1762 – 10 November 1836) was a British watercolour landscape painter and etcher. Wells was born in London in 1762. Wells studied art in London under John James Barralet (1747–1815). On 20 November 1804, Wells ...

. Its original membership was

William Sawrey Gilpin William Sawrey Gilpin (4 October 1762 – 4 April 1843) was an English artist and drawing master, and in later life a landscape designer. Biography Gilpin was born at Scaleby Castle, Cumbria on 4 October 1762, the son of the animal painter Saw ...

Robert Hills Robert Hills (26 June 1769 – 14 May 1844) was an English painter and etcher. Hills was born in Islington. He initially studied under John Alexander Gresse, then enrolled at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1788. He primarily painted rural scene ...

John Claude Nattes John Claude Nattes (c.1765, Dover–1839, London) was a watercolourist and topographical draughtsman of either French or English origin. In 1789 Sir Joseph Banks commissioned him to record the buildings of Lincolnshire and this resulted ...

John Varley John Varley may refer to: * John Varley (canal engineer) (1740–1809), English canal engineer * John Varley (painter) (1778–1842), English painter and astrologer * John Varley (author) (born 1947), American science fiction author * John Silvest ...

Cornelius Varley Cornelius Varley, FRSA (21 November 1781 – 2 October 1873) was a British water-colour painter and optical instrument-maker. He invented the graphic telescope and the graphic microscope. Biography Varley was born at Hackney, then a village n ...

Francis Nicholson Lieutenant-General Francis Nicholson (12 November 1655 – ) was a British Army general and colonial official who served as the Governor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. He previously was the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1712 to 1715, the ...

Samuel Shelley Samuel Shelley (1750/56–1808) was an English miniaturist and watercolour painter. Largely self-educated, Samuel Shelley was a leading miniaturist, i.e., painter of portrait miniatures, of his time, ranking with Cosway, Smart, and Crosse. In ...

William Henry Pyne William Henry Pyne (1769 in London – 29 May 1843 in London) was an English writer, illustrator and painter, who also wrote under the name of Ephraim Hardcastle. He trained at the drawing academy of Henry Pars in London. He first exhibited ...

and

Nicholas Pocock Nicholas Pocock (2 March 1740 – 9 March 1821) was an English artist known for his many detailed paintings of naval battles during the age of sail. Birth and early career at sea Pocock was born in Bristol in 1740, the son of a seaman.Chatte ...

. The members seceded from 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 pur ...

where they felt that their work commanded insufficient respect and attention. In 1812, the Society reformed as the ''Society of Painters in Oil and Watercolours'', reverting to its original name in 1820. In 1831 a schism created another group, the New Society for Painters in Water Colours, and so the 1804 group became known as the ''Old Water Colour Society'', and just the ''Old Society''. The New Society subsequently became the

Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 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, based in the Mall Galleries in London. History In 1831 the so ...

, which still exists today. The Old Society obtained its

Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

1881 under the presidency of Sir John Gilbert as the ''Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours''. In 1988, it changed its name again to the ''Royal Watercolour Society'', by which it had always previously been generally known.

Current

The Royal Watercolour Society was founded to promote watercolour as a medium in all its applications. The Society defines a 'watercolour' as a work made in any water-based paint on paper. The RWS holds regular exhibitions presenting the finest in British contemporary works on paper. Exhibitions are held at

Bankside Gallery Bankside Gallery is a public art gallery in Bankside, London, England. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980, Bankside is an educational charity, situated on the Thames Path just along from Tate Modern. The gallery is home to the Royal Watercolou ...

and also tour outside London. The 75 Members choose new Associates each year in a rigorous election procedure. Full membership is granted following a show of hands at an AGM. The Society's education programme includes practical courses tutored by members and drop-in family event days as well as talks and discussions. The archive and diploma collection is available for research. Current members include

Sonia Lawson Sonia Lawson (2 June 1934 – 15 May 2023) was an English contemporary artist born in North Yorkshire. Biography Sonia Lawson was born into a family of artists on 2 June 1934. Her father Fred Lawson and her mother Muriel Metcalfe, who was ...

Elizabeth Blackadder Dame Elizabeth Violet Blackadder, Mrs Houston, (24 September 1931 – 23 August 2021) was a Scottish painter and printmaker. She was the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy. In 1962 she began tea ...

Richard Bawden Richard Bawden (born 1936) is an English painter, printmaker and designer with a graphic, linear quality. His work includes book illustration, murals, etched glass church windows and doors, posters, mosaic and furniture. His work is in the collec ...

and

David Remfry David Remfry (born 1942 in Worthing, England) is a British painter and curator. He was the Eranda Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy Schools from 2016 - 2018 and a Judge for the Royal Academy of Arts Charles Wollaston Award 2021. In ...

. The current president Jill Leman was elected in 2017.

Presidents

(1804–1806) *

(1806–1807) * John Glover (1808) *

Ramsay Richard Reinagle Ramsay Richard Reinagle (19 March 1775 – 17 November 1862) was an English portrait, landscape, and animal painter, and son of Philip Reinagle. Biography Ramsay Richard Reinagle was a pupil of his father Philip Reinagle, whose style he foll ...

(1808–1812) *

(1812–1813) *

John Warwick Smith John "Warwick" Smith (26 July 1749 – 22 March 1831) was a British watercolour landscape painter and illustrator. Life and work Smith was born at Irthington, near Carlisle, Cumbria, Carlisle, Cumberland, the son of a gardener to the ...

(1814) * John Glover (1815) *

Joshua Cristall Joshua Cristall (1767–1847) was an English painter. For a time he was president of the Society of Painters in Water-Colours, a medium in which he showed a pleasing freedom and simplicity of style. Life Cristall was born at Camborne in Cornwall ...

(1816) *

(1817–1818) *

(1819) *

George Fennell Robson George Fennell Robson (1788–1833) was an English watercolour painter. Life One of 23 children of John Robson (1739–1824) by his second wife, Charlotte, eldest daughter of George Fennell, R.N., he was born at Durham, England, Durham in 1788; h ...

(1820) *

(1821–1831) *

Anthony Van Dyke Copley Fielding Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (22 November 1787 – 3 March 1855), commonly called Copley Fielding, was an England, English painter born in Sowerby, West Yorkshire, Sowerby, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax, and famous for his waterc ...

(1831–1855) *

John Frederick Lewis John Frederick Lewis (1804–1876) was an English Orientalist painter. He specialized in Oriental and Mediterranean scenes in detailed watercolour or oils, very often repeating the same composition in a version in each medium. He lived for s ...

(1856–1858) *

John Frederick Tayler (John) Frederick Tayler (30 April 1802England Births and Christenings, ...

(1858–1870) * Sir John Gilbert (1871–1897) *

Sir Ernest Waterlow Sir Ernest Albert Waterlow, (24 May 185025 October 1919) was a British painter. Biography Waterlow was born in London, and received the main part of his art education in the Royal Academy schools, where, in 1873, he gained the Turner medal ...

(1897–1913) * Alfred Parsons (1913–1920) *

Sir Herbert Hughes-Stanton Sir Herbert Edwin Pelham Hughes-Stanton (21 November 1870 – 2 August 1937)''Sir H. Hughes-Stanton, R.A.'' The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Aug 04, 1937; pg. 14; Issue 47754 was a British watercolour and oil painter, predominantly ...

(1920–1936) * Sir William Russell Flint (1936–1956) * Robert Austin (1957–1973) *

Andrew Freeth Hubert Andrew Freeth (29 December 1912 – 26 March 1986) was a British portrait painter and etcher. Biography Freeth was born in Birmingham and attended the Birmingham College of Art and, between 1936 and 1939, studied at the British School i ...

(1974–1976) * Ernest Greenwood (1976–1984) * Maurice Sheppard (1984–1987) * Charles Bartlett (1987–1992) *

Leslie Worth Leslie Worth OBE (1923–2009) was an English watercolourist. Life and career Worth attended Bideford Art School and the Royal College of Art and later became an art teacher at the Epsom School of Art (now the University for the Creative Arts) ...

(1992–1995) *

Richard Seddon Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 – 10 June 1906) was a New Zealand politician who served as the List of prime ministers of New Zealand, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand, premier (prime minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. ...

(1995–1996) *John Doyle (1996–2000) * Francis Bowyer (2000–2003) *

Trevor Frankland Trevor ( Trefor in the Welsh language) is a common given name or surname of Welsh origin. It is an habitational name, deriving from the Welsh ''tre(f)'', meaning "homestead", or "settlement" and ''fawr'', meaning "large, big". The Cornish langua ...

(2003–2006) *

Richard Sorrell Richard Sorrell (born 24 September 1948"Richard Sorrell"
Debrett's ...

(2006–2009) *David Paskett (2009–2012) *Thomas Plunkett (2012–2017) *Jill Leman (2017–present)

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* {{Authority control British artist groups and collectives 19th-century art groups 1804 establishments in the United Kingdom British contemporary art Watercolor societies

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 a ...