The impetus toward water-color in France first came in the early twenties front the English man Bonington and from Gericault. It was soon practiced by all important artists, among whom Delacroix. lsabey, and especially Decamps achieved most remarkable results. Among cele brated French aquarellists of a later date were Leloir, Meissonier, Regnault, Detaille, and Vibert, among figure painters; and Jnquemart, Ilarpi gnies, and others among landscapists. The very popular fan painting upon silk and satin is done with water-colors. which have lately been applied, with high success, to paint ings upon canvas and other materials as well. In Germany watercolors were used by Schwind with great effect in the por trayal of his dream-like fables, but the first im portant German aquarellist was Hildebrandt, a pupil of Isabey. other important representatives are Menzel in Berlin, Karl Werner. and Fielder (Triest). Both in Holland (Israels) and Bel gium are flourishing schools, and in Spain and Italy the example of Fortnny gave rise to a particularly brilliant development.
In the exhibitions of water-color paintings yearly held in the States. particularly in York. great variety in technique and sub ject is seen, but no distinctive American 'school' has as yet been developed. Among the artists prominent in figure painting are Winslow Homer, William N. Chase, C. Y. Turner, Robert Blum, Irving R. Wiles, Thure de Thulstrup, and Nrs. Rhoda Holmes Nichols; in landscape may he mentioned Alexander Wyant, J. Francis :Mur phy. Samuel Coleman, R. Swain Gifford, Henry Farrar. and Childe Hassam: in marine paint ing, William T. Richards and Charles A. Platt: and in architecture, Harry Fenn and Hughson Hawley.
At present water-color paintings may be divid ed into three kinds: ( I) those in which the col oring is mainly transparent; (2) where it is usually opaque: (3) where transparent. semi transparent. and opaque colors are freely used in combination. The quick drying of water-color
pigments is favorable to rapid execution, and greater clearness of color is attained than is prac ticable in oils. They are especially adapted to sketches of all kinds, and the rendering of fugi tive impressions. and retain color far better than oil paintings. The progress of the art has been greatly promoted by modern chemical develop meats in the preparation of the colors—great variety of really permanent colors being now procurable. These are various pigments ground with gum or other mucilage, and may be kept in cakes, the usual vehicle for moistening and applying them being gum arabic and water. But for artists they are now usually prepared so as to be kept moist in small earthenware pans or metallic tubes.
The earliest organized society the pro motion of the art was the British Society of Painters in Water-Colors. founded in London in 1804, and known since 1S82 as the Royal Society, which has held exhibitions since 1S05. Societies exist in other countries where the art is prac ticed. The Soci6t6 des Aquarellistes Francais in Paris was founded in 1879, before which aquarelles were exhibited in the Salon. The American Society has held yearly exhibits in New York since 1867. The South Kensington Museum possesses what is probably the finest collection of water-colors in existence.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. For the technical side, consult Bibliography. For the technical side, consult Barnard, Landscape Painting in Water-Colors (London, 1870) ; Hamerton, Graphic Arts (ib., 1882) ; Cassagne, Traits d'aquarclies (Paris, ; Ciceri, Cours d'aquarellcs (ib., 1879) ; and Schmidt. Techailo der Aquarelle (Leipzig, For the English school. see Monkhouse, The Early English. Water-Color Painters (Lon don. /S89) Roget, History of the Old Water Color Society (i1)., IS91) ; and Redgrave, Water Color Painting in England (ib., 1S92).