DOI article:
Holmes, Charles: The History of the Royal Society of Painters in Water-Colours
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27085#0024
THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY
treatment by the oil painters; they may have thought, as Uwins
suggests, that an art which could hold its own so successfully among
the many counter-attractions in the rooms of the Academy would
be even more prosperous when given chances of fuller expansion;
or they may simply have wished to unite somewhat scattered forces
into close and helpful association. To-day we are concerned with
the results of their activity and little enough with the causes by
which it was inspired.
The first step in the direction of organisation was taken in the first
or second year of the nineteenth century by William Frederick
Wells, an artist of moderate ability, who was an intimate friend of
Turner and a teacher of much repute. He devoted himself assidu-
ously to the advancement of his project, and tried to secure the
co-operation of all the better known water-colour painters by sending
to them a printed circular letter in which the advantages of forming
a Society which would hold exhibitions of their work were eloquently
set forth. His efforts were seconded by the miniaturist, Samuel
Shelley, who had, it is said, been engaged upon a similar scheme
before he became acquainted with Wells through the introduction
of a mutual friend; and Shelley brought two other artists—Robert
Hills, the painter of animals and rustic subjects, and William Henry
Pyne, the landscape painter—to join in the discussion. Pyne was a
man who took an enthusiastic interest in new schemes and was
always ready to assist energetically any movement which promised
good results, so that he was a valuable recruit.
These four men set to work to prepare a programme, and agreed
upon a series of regulations which seemed to be suited to the
purposes of such a society as they had in view. Their next step
was to choose from among the painters available a number sufficient
to enable the Association to commence operations with some hope of
success. This, however, required deliberation, for obviously men
of standing were required, and not all of those who would have done
honour to the Society were available. Girtin had died while the
scheme was in process of incubation, and so had also both the
Maltons, Rooker, and Wheatley, while J. R. Cozens and Thomas
Sandby had passed away some few years before. Turner was not
eligible because he was a member of the Royal Academy, and Paul
Sandby because he was nearly eighty years old. But finally six
painters of repute were induced to join, and on November 30, 1804,
the ten members, Wells, Shelley, Hills, Pyne, Francis Nicholson,
Nicholas Pocock, John Varley and his younger brother Cornelius,
John Claude Nattes, and William Sawrey Gilpin, met at the
h xii
treatment by the oil painters; they may have thought, as Uwins
suggests, that an art which could hold its own so successfully among
the many counter-attractions in the rooms of the Academy would
be even more prosperous when given chances of fuller expansion;
or they may simply have wished to unite somewhat scattered forces
into close and helpful association. To-day we are concerned with
the results of their activity and little enough with the causes by
which it was inspired.
The first step in the direction of organisation was taken in the first
or second year of the nineteenth century by William Frederick
Wells, an artist of moderate ability, who was an intimate friend of
Turner and a teacher of much repute. He devoted himself assidu-
ously to the advancement of his project, and tried to secure the
co-operation of all the better known water-colour painters by sending
to them a printed circular letter in which the advantages of forming
a Society which would hold exhibitions of their work were eloquently
set forth. His efforts were seconded by the miniaturist, Samuel
Shelley, who had, it is said, been engaged upon a similar scheme
before he became acquainted with Wells through the introduction
of a mutual friend; and Shelley brought two other artists—Robert
Hills, the painter of animals and rustic subjects, and William Henry
Pyne, the landscape painter—to join in the discussion. Pyne was a
man who took an enthusiastic interest in new schemes and was
always ready to assist energetically any movement which promised
good results, so that he was a valuable recruit.
These four men set to work to prepare a programme, and agreed
upon a series of regulations which seemed to be suited to the
purposes of such a society as they had in view. Their next step
was to choose from among the painters available a number sufficient
to enable the Association to commence operations with some hope of
success. This, however, required deliberation, for obviously men
of standing were required, and not all of those who would have done
honour to the Society were available. Girtin had died while the
scheme was in process of incubation, and so had also both the
Maltons, Rooker, and Wheatley, while J. R. Cozens and Thomas
Sandby had passed away some few years before. Turner was not
eligible because he was a member of the Royal Academy, and Paul
Sandby because he was nearly eighty years old. But finally six
painters of repute were induced to join, and on November 30, 1804,
the ten members, Wells, Shelley, Hills, Pyne, Francis Nicholson,
Nicholas Pocock, John Varley and his younger brother Cornelius,
John Claude Nattes, and William Sawrey Gilpin, met at the
h xii