Francis Towne

Like the work of many artists who were rather obscure in their lifetime, the art of Francis Towne enjoyed a revival in the 1920s; he is now considered one of the finest British watercolourists. Along with his contemporary, J.R. Cozens, Towne brought the English coutnryside to life with his unique style and exploited the avialability of new, thicker papers that would allow watercolour painting outdoors "on the spot".

Simultaneous to the explosion of interest in watercolour painting as an independent art form, the subject of landscape became an especially popular subject for English artists. As the social and economic life of England shifted from an agricultural to an industrial society, artists responded by depicting nature and man's connection to it. Like many aspiring artists, Towne traveled to Italy in 1780 to study for two years and explore the continent.