Artist Database

Sir William Russell Flint was a Scottish artist and illustrator, celebrated for his watercolours, particularly of the female form, rendered with muted ochres. Born in Edinburgh in 1880, he trained under his father, a lithographer, and completed formal studies at the Royal Institute of Art, Edinburgh, as well as the Heatherley School of Fine Art in London. Flint began his career illustrating novels and periodicals, including The Illustrated London News, The Canterbury Tales, and King Solomon’s Mines. During World War I, he served in the RNVR and RAF. He later travelled across France and Spain, drawing inspiration from landscapes, dancers, and local life, which informed both his figure and landscape work. Flint served as President of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours for twenty years and was knighted in 1947. His work is held in prominent public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery, and Walker Art Gallery.