Sir William Russell Flint RA ROI British, 1880-1969

A master of watercolours

Sir William Russell Flint RA ROI was a Scottish artist and illustrator, famed as a watercolourist of remarkable technical skill. He also worked in oils, tempera, and printmaking, producing many etchings and drypoints. Russell Flint was arguably the most accomplished British watercolorist of the Twentieth Century. In 1962, Flint held an exhibition of his work in the Diploma Galleries at the Royal Academy, an honour shared by only five other Royal Academicians. It was as an artist of feminine grace that he won universal acclaim, for his picturesque gypsies, flamenco dancers and languorous nude and half draped beauties. For many years he also painted the landscapes and seascapes of England and Scotland, and travelled abroad, where he painted in Switzerland, Italy, Spain and France.