British Watercolours: in The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, A Summary Catalogue

The Whitworth Gallery, founded in 1889, holds one of the finest collections of British watercolours and drawings. This is the first book to publish this outstanding group of works in its entirety, and provides a fascinating insight into the collection.

The collection is especially important because of the broad range of artists it encompasses. Holdings of Turner and Girtin are particularly significant, as are the works by Alexander and John Robert Cozens. While the main strength comes from the eighteenth century, there are also important nineteenth-century entries, including famous watercolours by Ford Madox Brown, Millais, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Holman Hunt. Combining broad popular appeal with scholarly interest, this watercolour collection provides a source of enjoyment to the many collectors of English watercolours.

The book begins with a brief introduction to the background of the collection, followed by each work presented alphabetically by artist. Each entry includes a short biography and description, followed by listings of other works. All 2,500 works are included, 2,000 of which are illustrated in black and white, and 32 in colour.