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

watercolours Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the S ...

. 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 post-nominal initials RWS and ARWS (associate member). 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 Painting, 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 ...

. 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, John Claude Nattes, John Varley,

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 ...

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

Samuel Shelley Samuel Shelley (1750/56–22 December 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 ...

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 exhibite ...

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 in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

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 ...

, 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, but ...

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 Watercol ...

and also tour outside London. The new RWS Gallery at Whitcomb Street opened its doors for a 'soft launch' in May 2022 with an exhibition of watercolours by RWS Member

David Remfry David Remfry (born 1942 in Worthing, England) is a British painter and curator. He served as the Eranda Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy Schools from 2016 to 2018 and as a competition judge for the Royal Academy of Arts Charles Wolla ...

. The RWS now holds exhibitions at both Bankside Gallery and the Whitcomb Street Gallery. The 75 Members choose new Associates each year in a rigorous election procedure. Associates are entitled to use the initials ARWS after their names. 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,

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 of Arts. In 1962, she ...

, Richard Bawden,

Robin Richmond Robin Richmond (21 April 1912 – 27 July 1998) was an English cinema organist and BBC Radio presenter and performer. History Richmond was born on 21 April 1912 in Kensington, London, England, UK. His father was a doctor. William Stephenso ...

, and

. The current president Charles Williams was elected in 2023.

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 fol ...

(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 Royal Watercolour Society, Society of Painters in Water-Colours, a medium in which he showed a pleasing freedom and simplicity of style. Life Cristall was b ...

(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 in 1788; his father, a wine ...

(1820) *

(1821–1831) *

Anthony Van Dyke Copley Fielding Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (22 November 1787 – 3 March 1855), commonly called Copley Fielding, was an English painter born in Sowerby, near Halifax, and famous for his watercolour landscapes. At an early age Fielding became a pupi ...

(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 (1920–1936) * Sir William Russell Flint (1936–1956) * Thomas Carr (1936) * 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 15th premier (prime minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. In office for thirteen years, he is to date New Zealand's longest-ser ...

(1995–1996) *John Doyle (1996–2000) *

Francis Bowyer Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie29 ...

(2000–2003) * Trevor Frankland (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 (2017–2023) * Charles Williams (2023–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 is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...