Watercolor Painting & History

Purpose:

To become familiar with the history of watercolor;

To become familiar with various watercolor artists throughout time;

To make connections between watercolor purposes and techniques from long ago to its uses today.


The first watercolor paintings were done with water-based pigments in cave paintings from the pre-historic times and Ancient Egypt. They’ve been used in almost every culture since the beginning of art itself.

Albrecht Durer, a German painter from the late 15th century, was considered one of the first modern masters of watercolor. He travelled Italy studying landscape and nature-based art, applying new forms of opaque washes to create detail in his work. He was also one of the first to use the technique of building up transparent layers to create atmosphere. His subject matter often included nature and animals. He was very interested in using layers to create vivid and true-to-life color schemes.



‘Wing of a Roller’ 1512



‘Landscape with River, View of the Tiber from Monte Mario, Rome’ - 1640-50

Claude Lorraine was another important watercolor artist. He was commissioned to paint landscapes for monarchy and clergy. His works were often large and used various techniques of highlights and shadows.

‘Young Woman Sleeping’ - 1654

Rembrandt van Rijn was a very influential artist in the watercolor movement. While he didn’t use actual watercolors, the Dutch painter often used sepia and gray washes in his pieces, suggesting color and light rather than stating it outright.

Watercolor became more mainstream in the 1700s, when art was taught along with other curriculum as a method of planning battle. Watercolor was the best firm of paint to use because it was compact and easy to travel with. It didn’t take long for the art form to become something people did for fun and to show their level of schooling. In the late 1700s and early 1800s they were taken up also by women, especially of the upper class, to color black prints with and use as a part of their tutoring.

Watercolors came back to the mainstream in 1970s and 80s with academics and students taking renewed interested in the art form. Museums put in permanent and very popular galleries just for watercolor works. Today there are many kinds of watercolors including environmentally friendly ones, fade-resistant ones, and some with experimental additives and textures. Some, such as gouache and water-soluble oils change the opacity and even redefine what watercolor is,

Batten, Anthony J Batten J. "HISTORY OF WATERCOLOUR." CSPWC English History of the Medium. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

"Watercolor, Watermedia, Then And Now." Watercolor Watercolor Painting Watermedia History Contemporary Exhibitions. FlexSqueeze, 2012. Web. 15 May 2014.