William Green of Ambleside (1761-1823) - A Pair of Watercolours Lake District

Description

Two very fine early 19th century watercolours by the English watercolourist William Green (1761-1823). Both compositions capture an idyllic view of the English countryside, most probably of the Lake District where Green lived and worked for many years. A very faint inscription on the reverse of the image with a cottage possibly reads 'Lunesdale Water'. Both watercolours are very finely painted, with a careful attention to detail and fine brushwork. Painted on card. Signed on the reverse.

Condition

Overall the condition is very good for paintings of this age. There is some discolouration and very minor foxing. There are some small signs of mount burn to the outer edges, however this is very minor. Small surface abrasions to the signed watercolour.

Size

18.8 x 28.1cm (7.4" x 11.1")
Sheet: 20.5 x 29.6cm (8.1" x 11.7")

Artist Biography

William Green was born in Manchester in 1761 where he trained for a career as a surveyor. Green was encouraged to become a painter by his friend Thomas West, while the pair were touring the lakes together. When Green returned to Manchester he took lessons in painting, and before long he was combining the career of surveyor and cartographer with that of drawing teacher. His first aquatints and etchings of the area were published in the mid 1790s. In 1796 he moved to London, where he exhibited at the Royal Academy. Soon after his move to London he married a barmaid, Anne Bamford, and in 1800 the couple set up home in Ambleside where they remained for the rest of the artist’s life, raising a large family.

For over twenty years Green devoted himself to exploring, studying and recording his surroundings and published a stream of individual prints, books, or series of prints accompanied by letterpress. He became the first resident artist in the Lake District to make a business out of selling local views to visiting tourists. His subjects ranged from celebrated beauty spots to rustic buildings and detailed studies of wayside rocks and ferns. To promote his work he held regular exhibitions in his house in the Marketplace in Ambleside.

Location

United Kingdom, Cumbria, England