Paul Sandby

Long considered the father of English watercolor painting, Paul Sandby (1731–1809) painted views throughout Britain, finding new scenes in a country undergoing rapid social and commercial development, and portraying familiar ones with a fresh eye. Encompassing rural, urban, modern, and historical themes, his art is unrivalled among that of his contemporaries for its remarkable range.

Today, Sandby’s paintings appear in collections around the globe, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In this comprehensive survey of Sandby’s life and work, published to celebrate the artist’s bicentenary, leading authorities draw on new research to offer fresh perspectives on the development of eighteenth-century British art and the Sandby’s role in popularizing and professionalizing the medium of watercolor. The authors also explore the artist’s influence as a teacher and his innovations in printmaking, as well as the cultural and geographical scope of his work.