Description: Paul Sandby (1725-1809), the renowned English water-colour painter, was born at Nottingham in 1725. Paul probably commenced his career as a drawing master in Nottingham with his brother, Thomas. In 1742 they went to London and engaged on military maps and plans. In 1746 he was appointed by the duke of Cumberland as draughtsman to the survey of the Highlands. In 1752 he quitted this post and retired to Windsor, where he rejoined his brother, and it was here that he commenced his famous drawings of the Castle and Park. From 1768 to 1796 he was drawing master at the R.M.A. Woolwich, where he was popular master and taught many influential amateurs as well as a number of well known professional artists : Rooker, P.S.Munn, Clevely etc. He was also a founder member of the Royal Academy in 1769. Sir Joseph Banks commissioned him to bring out in aquatint (a method of engraving then. peculiar to Sandby) forty-eight plates drawn during a tour in Wales. Sandby displayed considerable power as a caricaturist in his attempt to ridicule the opposition of Hogarth to the plan for creating a public academy for the arts. Sandby is best remembered, however, by his water-colour paintings. He has been referred to as 'The Father of English Watercolour'. He painted in both pure watercolour and bodycolour, or a combination of both. They are topographical in character, and, while they want the richness and brilliancy of modern water-colour, he nevertheless impressed upon them the originality of his mind. His etchings, such as the Cries of London and the illustrations to Ramsays Gentle Shepherd, and his plates, such as those to Tassos Jerusalem Delivered, are numerous and carefully executed. He died in London on the 9th of November 1809. A few of his paintings can be seen on this web site at NTGM008861, NTGM008858, NTGM008803, NTGM002795, NTGM002828