The Passerby
Sir William Russell Flint
P.R.A., P.R.W.S., R.S.W., R.O.I., R.E.
01623 799 309
Russell Flint main page
The Passer-By
Sir William Russell Flint. 1880-1969.
Sir William Russell Flint, began life in Edinburgh on the fourth of April Eighteen eighty.
His father Francis Wighton Flint, was a watercolourist and designer,
It helped William Russell Flint considerably that his family was involved in artistic careers. After studying at Daniel Stewarts School,
he went to the Royal Institution College of Artwork in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was in this environment that he was able to develop his
own unique style on paper
For six yrs. he trained as a draughtsman in an Edinburgh printers, this undoubtedly helped to give him the discipline that went towards his sucess
as one of the world's most outstanding watercolourists.
At the begining of the century Russell Flint took a job at the Illustrated London News where he would draw illustrations.
In this time before photographs, drawings and engravings were not only important sources of information, but great accuracy was needed to produce
realistic and true images for books and magazines.
Great classics... "Thomas a Kempis","The Song of Solomon", Mallory's "Morte d'Arthur", Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and Homer's "Odyssey" were all illustrated by William Russell Flint War broke out in 1914, during which Flint joined the Royal Navy Air Service and by 1918 he was promoted to Admiralty Assistant Overseer; This allowed him to travel back to Scotland where he studied at the art School.
After the war, Russell Flint decided to visit Europe Europe, in particular France, where he painted and drew many landscapes of the quiet countryside villages and their rural way of life, the publications of his limited edition prints illustrate much of his adventures in France. Russell Flint became an Associate member of the Royal Academy in 1924 and nine years after, was elected a full member.Russell Flint become the President of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1936. Throughout the early 1940s, Russell and his wife Flint lived on a turkey farm in Devonin Devon. As a previous officer of the RAF, he was permitted to enter Devonport Dockyard,(a limited edition of this painting was released, and described as a masterpiece of perspective) and paint, at will.
William Russell Flint and his wife Sybil returned to their home at Peel Cottage, Campden Hill, London in nineteen forty five, and two years later Russell Flint knighted. Sir William Russell Flint greatly enjoyed his work, and painted until his death at the age of 89 years old. His painting as a professional artist changed from one decade to the next, and his style matured into a very fine portrayal of textures that has never been surpassed.
Sir William Russell Flint's work has given and continues to give enormous pleasure to many admirers across the globe.
The signed limited edition prints and original paintings, have become very collectable, and his paintings have a great following
and are known as some of the finest watercolour paintings in the world today.
He was a much liked architectural, watercolour artist, who was most famous for his paintings of female nudes.In the art world,
Russell Flint was a revered by his colleagues. His father was an industrial artist and as a boy he joined a lithographic company where he spent six years
learning about the printing industry and the many different techniques used. Russell Flint was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in eighteen hundred and eighty,
his gift for painting was soon impressing both his fellow artists and the general public.
During his student days at the Edinburgh Royal Institution Faculty of Artwork, and after working for six years at the lithographic printing company, he made the decision to live in London and work as an illustrator in the world of medicine, and then in 1903 he became an illustrator for the Illustrated London News which , due to worldwide distribution, publicised his work across the globe. In nineteen hundred and five he married an admiral's daughter, Sibylle Sueter in 1905 and his work continued to flourish so that two years later he was able to become a freelance artist which gave him the opportunity to illustrate several classical special editions for example; Mallory's 'Morte D'Arthur', Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' and Homer's 'Odyssey'.
During WW1 his job was the Admiralty assistant overseer of Airships . He returned to his birthplace of Scotland, and some years later painted a watercolour titled ' Hilda's Bonnet' on a small piece of material from HM Airship 24 which he had been in charge.
After the Geat War, Russell Flint's creative profession started to bloom. He travelled in France and Spain, the place he painted beautiful pictures showing the local landscapes and regional way of life.
In 1924 he was asked to join the Royal Academy as an associate member, and nine years laterhe was given the status of full member in 1933. Three years later he became President of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour. Leaving their home in Devon, where they had lived throughout the Great War, Russell Flint and Syblle decided to return to Campden Hill, London, which proved a tremendous success for Russell Flint as the nation was begining to recover from the years of war, and begining to enjoy the arts once more.
His expertise with the watercolour medium and his talent in painting nudes, created an unique manner of painting which became world famous.
William Russell Flint was made Sir William Russell Flint in nineteen forty seven, and fifteen years later his work was given supreme prominence by a retrospective exhibition in the Diploma Gallery of the Royal Academy. During this period, Charles Wheeler, who was the President of the Royal Academy, remarked that Russell Flint's art was an incredible feat and a 'baffling skill'.
In his later years, due to his artistic and financial success, Russell Flint was able to travel extensively across Europe, particularly in France
where he was a prolific painter, also enjoying some time painting in Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Scotland.
Portrait of Consuelita Carmona
Paintings sold from various sources
If you wish to visit the beautiful countryside and villages in the south west of France where Sir William Russell Flint spent much of his time painting,
a beautiful holiday house in Dordogne is to let throughout the year.
We have specialized in the paintings and prints by Sir William Russell Flint for over thirty years, and have on display over
500 edition prints, signed and unsigned; Also original watercolour paintings and red chalk drawings, for sale.
The limited edition prints, particularly the signed, limited edition prints (ie. pre 1969) were very sought after at the publication date,
and the entire edition could be sold out within several hours of release.
There is no 'second' edition of these prints, these are the original signed, limited editions that have over the years become highly collectable and
sought after works of art, some of which are over seventy years old.
Recognized worldwide as a master of watercolour painting, Sir William Russell Flint's work enjoys the prominence of some of the finest and most experienced paintings of our time.
a beautiful experience for those who enjoy the countryside and wish to visit the many towns and villages of great character. here You may be interested to view two of our websites featuring the work of highly regarded wildlife artist, David Shepherd click
and the signed prints and drawings of Britain's most sought after artworks by L.S. Lowry view here.