subject: William Russell Flint - The Premier Watercolour Artist Of Europe [print this page] William Russell Flint - The Premier Watercolour Artist Of Europe
Producing a collection of watercolour paintings for approximately 70 years, Sir William Russell Flint is a legend amongst admireers of fine art.
He was born in 1880 and died in 1969 after a long and distinguished artistic career.His mother was Jane Russell Flint - amongst the first of Scottish female civil servants and his father, Francis Wighton Flint, was a ticket writer and an illuminator. He also had 2 siblings - a brother and a sister. His remarkable talent was recognized early in age and he was enrolled into the Royal School of Art in Edinburgh, Scotland. On completion, he served a six-year apprenticeship with a large printing works in Edinburgh as lithographic artist and a designer.When he reached his twenties he moved to London to work as a medical illustrator. As a consequence his new work became one of design and illustrating for magazines. Joining the Illustrated London News in 1903, he recorded current events until 1907. The wide distribution of the Illustrated London News within the erstwhile British Empire and, the vastness of the empire itself - led to his talents being showcased across the globe. His First book illustrations were for King Solomon's Mines in 1905, followed by Of the Imitation of Christ in 1908, Song of Songs and various other works culminating in the splendid four volumes, 48 plates, Le Morte D'Arthur in 1910 - 1911. He illustrated many well known books until the first world war began.Commissioned during the war, he was taken back to his native Scotland which gave him the opportunity to paint a watercolour called Hilda's Bonnet on the fragment of a HM airship which he commanded.Post the war, William's artistic career took off and he became a full-time artist. He moved from London to mainland Europe - traveling through France and Spain and producing watercolours to reflect the local culture. In between the World Wars, his ascendance into prominence as an artist reflected in his entre into the Royal Watercolour Society first as an associate, then as a full time member and finally the President in 1936. This is also shown in the fact that two publications feature his work - Famous Etchers and Famous Watercolour Painters.Post the War, Russell Flint moved back to England beginning perhaps an even more successful chapter in his artistic journey. These included not only his work as an artist but also other avenues. Flint was successful enough to indulge in his other passion - drawing. He even published a large volume consisting of studies, sketches and plain-air paintings called Drawings.Flint was knighted in 1947 by then king, King George VI. His subsequent works led to a large retrospective exhibition in the Royal Academy which attracted more than 21,000 visitors.At the age of eighty nine, Russell Flint died in December, nineteen sixty nine. He left behind one of the finest and most sought after collections of watercolours in the World.
