1st Edition

The Emergence of the Professional Watercolourist Contentions and Alliances in the Artistic Domain, 1760–1824

By Greg Smith Copyright 2002
288 Pages
by Routledge

288 Pages
by Routledge

298 Pages
by Routledge

This title was first published in 2002: Draw ing on extensive primary research, Greg Smith describes the shifting cultural identities of the English watercolour, and the English watercolourist, at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. His convincing narrative of the conflicts and alliances that marked the history of the medium and its practitioners during this... Read more
Contents: Introduction: 'Profession' and the social history of watercolours; Contentions: The development and maintenance of the media hierarchy: watercolours, oils and the Royal Academy; Dangerous associations 1: watercolour and artisanal practices; Dangerous associations 2: professionals and amateurs; Alliances: Creating new markets for watercolours; Establishing professional status and identity, c. 1795-1824; Conclusion: Watercolourists and their art in 1824: Bibliography; Index.

Biography

Greg Smith

'An impressive text that will powerfully influence the direction of scholarship in late eighteenth-century early nineteenth-century art.' Mark Hallett, University of York 'Greg Smith's book is the first full-length account to look in any detail at the complex range of issues surrounding the establishment of the Society, and, as such, is to be welcomed wholeheartedly... while Pyne's influence on later writers, we now realise, had been practically all-pervading, Smith's aim is to step out of his critical shadow and introduce new terms of reference.' Timothy Wilcox, British Music writing in the Burlington Magazine '(a) fascinating and rewarding book ... a book to savour and enjoy ... welcome for its portrayal of economic and social conditions of the time...' The Artist 'This is a fascinating contribution to the social history of British art. By showing the way in which artists adept in various practices contributed to the rise of watercolour, and by focussing on the politics inherent in the rivalry between the protagonists of the "new" medium and the old guard of the Royal Academy, Dr Smith shows how important questions about the nature of "high" and "popular" were asked and answered then, questions that are still being posed today.' The Art Newspaper 'This deeply impressive study will surely be referred to as a standard work on this topic of many years.' Adrian Lewis, The Art Book