Watercolor is considered one of the most capricious and temperamental colors, despite its simplicity and transparency. Children begin to learn painting with watercolors, but how many people know how great is the power of this harmless paint?
A Brief History: The Beginning of Development
The best watercolors in the world were able to create their masterpieces thanks to China, where after the invention of paper, which happened in the II century BC. e., watercolor technique got the opportunity to develop.
In Europe, the first rudiments appeared in the countries of Italy and Spain, when paper products arose there (XII – XIII centuries).
Watercolor art came into use later than other varieties of painting. One of the most famous first works, considered exemplary, was the painting “Hare” by the best watercolor artist of the world of the Renaissance - Albrecht Durer in 1502.
Then the artists Giovanni Castiglione, Claude Lorren, as well as Anthony van Dyck, began to engage in watercolor technique, however, samples of works in a similar technique continued to remain at an isolated level - a fact that Montaber confirmed in his treatise on painting. Mentioning watercolors, he did not go into details, since he believed that this technique did not deserve serious serious attention.
However, watercolor technique got its need in scientific and military research, when archaeologists and geologists needed to capture the studied objects (animals, plants, nature in general), as well as create topographic and architectural schemes.
Raise
In the XVIII century, closer to the middle, watercolor technique became entertainment in the circles of amateur draftsmen. This event was influenced by published notes by Gilpin William Soury, in which he described the provinces of England.
Also by this moment, the fashion for portrait miniature had spread, which dilettants-artists began to dare to study using watercolor technique.
The best watercolors of the world of the 18th and 19th centuries
The real flowering of watercolors, which turned it into the main and significant example of painting in England, occurred at a time when two artists, Thomas Gertin and Joseph Turner, put their talented hands to the case.
In 1804, thanks to Turner, an organization called the Society of Watercolorists was created.
Thomas Gertin
Gertin's early works of landscape illustrations were traditional in relation to the English school, but gradually he was able to develop a much wider and wider romantic direction of the landscape. Thomas began to use watercolor for a larger format.
Joseph Turner
The second best watercolorist in the world, Joseph Turner, became the youngest artist to receive the status of royal academician. He was able to create his own and therefore a new kind of landscape, with the help of which he had the opportunity to reveal his memories and feelings. Thus, Turner managed to enrich the armada of watercolor techniques.
Joseph also owes his famous name to the writer John Ruskin, who, through his writings, was able to declare Turner the most significant artist of his era.
Merit
The activities of the two geniuses described above influenced the vision of art by such figures as
- landscape painters David Cox and Richard Banington;
- The world's best watercolourist architect Samuel Prouout;
- still life professionals Samuel Parter, William Hunt, Miles Foster, John Lewis and girl Lucy Madox, as well as many others.
Watercolor in the United States
The flowering of watercolors in America took place in the middle of the 19th century, when the best watercolors of the world, such as Thomas Roman, Winslow Homer, Thomas Ikins and William Richards, advocated this type of painting.
- The role of Thomas Roman was his help in creating the Yellowstone National Park. At the suggestion of Cook, Thomas agreed to participate in geological exploration, traveling to the Yellowstone region. His drawings aroused great public interest, which entailed the entry of the region into the list of national heritage parks.
- Winslow Homer was one of the founders of American painting of realism. He managed to create his own art school. According to most experts, he was one of the best landscape watercolorists in the world, who had his influence on the further (XX century) development of American painting.
- Thomas Ikins was also involved in the emergence of realism in painting, along with the master Homer mentioned above. The artist was fond of the mechanism of the human body, because the theme of naked and half-naked figures in the work of Ikins occupied a leading place. In his works, athletes were often portrayed, and more precisely - rowers and wrestlers.
- The skill of William Richards was expressed in a rather exact similarity of works with the image of photographs. He gained fame in the status of a watercolor mountain landscape painter, and later a master of water paintings.
The best watercolors of the world in France
The spread of watercolor art in France is associated with such names as Eugene Delacroix, Paul Delaroche, Henri Arpinier and professional satire artist Honore Daumier.
1. Eugene Delacroix - the head of the direction of romanticism in the painting of Europe. He was elected to the Paris City Council and was awarded an honorary order. The first work to declare his name was the painting "The Massacre on Chios", depicting the horrors of the Greek War of Independence. Naturalism reached such mastery that critics accused his technique even of being overly natural.
2. Paul Delaroche - a painter who is a representative and a member of the direction of academism. At the age of 36, he was elected to the post of professor teaching at the School of Fine Arts of the city of Paris. The large-scale work of his whole life is the work "The Half Circle", which contains 75 brilliant artists of the past tense.
3. Henri Arpinier is considered one of the best landscape painters in France at that time. In addition to portraying nature, he worked in a portrait style. In his work, you can often see drawings of children.
4. Honore Daumier was not only an artist, but also a graphic artist, sculptor, and also a specialist in caricature. Once, for the work of Gargantua, the activist was sent to serve a prison term. He gained fame thanks to cartoons on political, social and personal topics, portraying the successful people of France of his time.
Masters of watercolor in Russia
Pyotr Fedorovich Sokolov, one of the best watercolor painters in the world, is considered to be the founder and pioneer of Russian watercolor. He was the ancestor of the domestic watercolor portrait, and was also a member of the academicians of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.
The blood brothers of the Bryullov family were famous for their talent. Karl was a watercolorist representing the trends of classicism with romanticism, and his older brother Alexander was not only an artist, but also an architect who owns many St. Petersburg projects.
In 1887, the organization World of Art was formed, consisting of Alexander Benois, Ivan Bilibin, Lev Bakst and artist Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva.
In the same year, the Society of Russian Watercolorists began to work, the first chairman of which was the above-mentioned Alexandre Benois.
In the XX century, the range of domestic masters is expanding. Some of the best watercolorists in the world from Russia are:
- Gerasimov Sergey;
- Zakharov Sergey;
- Tyrsa Nikolay;
- Deineka Alexander ;
- Vedernikov Alexander;
- Vereisky George;
- Teterin Victor;
- Zubreeva Maria and many other talented figures.
Present
At present, the watercolor technique has not lost its significance and its capabilities continue to reveal more and more new faces. Many figures are working on the capricious and complex paint, a list of only some of the best watercolorists of our time will be presented below.
1. Thomas Schaller - an artist and architect from America. Regarding watercolors, he admitted that he was in love with her for being able to express the artist's unique voice. The thematic preferences of the best watercolorist in the world include architecture (urban landscape) and, of course, images of nature.
2. Thierry Duval is an Italian watercolor painter who has his own technique of applying paint, allowing incredibly realistic depiction of details and the picture as a whole.
3. Stanislav Zoladz - Polish artist specializing in hyperrealism. Creativity is interesting in that the author excludes the presence of man and only details (boats, houses on the horizon or abandoned structures) remind of his existence.
4. Arush Votsmush - a domestic watercolor painter from Sevastopol. He calls his activity "a pure drug of creativity."
5. Anna Armona - artist from Ukraine. Her works are very bold, as she is a lover of colors, she uses them very expressively.
6. Pavel Dmokh is another watercolorist from Poland. It depicts a real cityscape, combining shadows and light with the interior, exterior and architecture.
7. Joseph Zbukwich - the most famous Australian artist. He compares his favorite paint with a wild horse, which he will never be able to curb to the end. Closer to his heart are the themes of the sea, as well as the opposite - the urban landscape.
Below is a photo of the best watercolorist of the world with his work.
Imagine: he could create one incredible work with just one paint - instant coffee.
8. Mary White is an American artist who is one of the best portrait watercolors in the world. Her paintings display a variety of personalities: the elderly, children, African Americans, women, workers, and others.