Copley Fielding

Key facts

Lived

1787–1855, British

Movement

• landscape painting

Works held in

5 museums^[1]

Plan your visit to see Copley Fielding →

• What is Copley Fielding known for?+

  Copley Fielding is known for his atmospheric watercolour paintings of the Sussex Downs, the English Channel, and the Scottish Highlands. His works were popular in early nineteenth-century Britain, and he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon of 1824. He captured English light with a sensitivity that his fading pigments now struggle to convey.
• What is Copley Fielding's most famous work?+

  Although Copley Fielding produced a large number of watercolour paintings during his career, it is difficult to identify a single "most famous" work. He enjoyed considerable success and critical recognition during his lifetime, becoming President of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1831. Fielding specialised in watercolour paintings of British scenery. These works often feature dramatic skies and atmospheric effects. He produced views of the Lake District, Scotland, and Sussex. His style was popular with collectors, and he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and other major venues. Critics sometimes noted a degree of repetition in his output, as he returned to similar subjects and compositional devices. However, his skill in capturing light and atmosphere remained highly regarded. Examples of his work can be found in many public and private collections, including the Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum. "The Skirts of Ben Nevis" (1837) is one well-known example of his Scottish views. "A Stormy Day on the Coast" (date unknown) represents his coastal scenes.
• What should I know about Copley Fielding's prints?+

  Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787-1855) was an English painter, mainly in watercolour. He is properly known as Copley Fielding, not Fielding, because several of his brothers were also painters, including Theodore Henry Adolphus Fielding, a noted printmaker. Copley Fielding was born in Yorkshire. He trained in London with John Varley. He became an associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1810, and a full member in 1813. He served as treasurer, then as president of the Society from 1831 until his death. Although Copley Fielding painted in oils, he is best known for his watercolours of British scenery. These were popular during his lifetime, and were widely reproduced as prints, often using the aquatint method. Aquatint is a printmaking technique that creates broad areas of tone, rather than lines. It simulates the appearance of watercolour washes. Many of Copley Fielding's prints were published in series of picturesque views. These include "A Series of Progressive Lessons Intended to Assist Students in Acquiring a Knowledge of the Art of Painting in Water Colours" (1829).
• What style or movement did Copley Fielding belong to?+

  Copley Fielding (1787-1855) was an English painter associated with the Romantic movement, particularly known for his watercolour paintings of British scenes. Romanticism in English art was partly a response to the Industrial Revolution. Artists like Fielding and John Constable expressed a nostalgia for agrarian life, contrasting with the growing urban centres. Constable, for example, painted tranquil rural scenes, idealising the countryside. Fielding's contemporary, J.M.W. Turner, also responded to industrialisation, but his style differed considerably. While Constable’s paintings are serene, Turner’s are more turbulent, composed of swirling pigments. Turner sought to capture nature’s grandeur and drama, often evoking a sense of awe and the sublime. Both Turner and Constable represent different facets of Romanticism. Constable aimed to paint nature as he saw it, while Turner used nature to reflect and express human emotions. Fielding, like Constable, focused on the natural world, capturing the atmosphere and light of the British countryside.
• What techniques or materials did Copley Fielding use?+

  Copley Fielding was known for his accomplished watercolour painting. He developed methods to achieve particular atmospheric effects. Fielding often employed broad washes of colour to establish the basic composition. He then added details with smaller brushes. Paper preparation was important. He favoured Whatman paper, a high-quality, English-made watercolour paper. It allowed him to build up layers of colour without the paper cockling or deteriorating. His technique included blotting and sponging to create soft, diffused effects, especially for clouds and mist. He also used scratching to bring out highlights. This involved using a sharp tool to remove layers of paint, revealing the white paper underneath. This was particularly effective for depicting the texture of rocks or foliage. Fielding sometimes added gum arabic to his watercolours. This increased the transparency and gloss of the colours. It also allowed him to rework areas more easily. These methods allowed him to capture the subtle gradations of light and atmosphere that characterise his work.
• What was Copley Fielding known for?+

  Copley Fielding was an English painter known for his atmospheric watercolour paintings. Born in 1787, he became a prominent figure in the art world of his time. Fielding's work often depicted British landscapes, especially the South Downs and the Lake District. He had a talent for capturing the changing light and weather conditions in his paintings. His images often evoke a sense of tranquility. He became a member of the Royal Watercolour Society, eventually serving as its president for many years. His art was popular among collectors, and he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Although his style was rooted in the Romantic tradition, his focus on close observation and naturalism set him apart. He died in 1855, leaving behind a substantial body of work.
• When did Copley Fielding live and work?+

  Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787-1855) was an English painter, mainly in watercolour. He is also known as Copley Fielding. He was born near Sowerby, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, on 22 November 1787. Fielding received early artistic training from his father, a painter. Later, around 1809, he studied with John Varley. He became an associate of the Old Water-Colour Society in 1810. By 1813, he was a full member. He served as treasurer, then he served as president of the Society from 1831 until his death. Fielding's practice centred on watercolour depictions of the British countryside. Sussex, where he eventually settled, was a frequent subject. He also painted scenes of the Lake District, Scotland, and Wales. His style is characterised by its atmospheric effects and use of light. Later in his career, his work was criticised for becoming formulaic. Copley Fielding died at Worthing on 3 March 1855. He is buried in the churchyard at Hove.
• Where can I see Copley Fielding's work?+

  You can find Copley Fielding's art in several public collections. In the UK, these include the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, the National Museums of Scotland (Royal Museum) in Edinburgh, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In the United States, museums holding his work are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Other US locations are the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (Winter Park, Florida), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University (Miami Beach). Finally, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada also holds works by Copley Fielding.
• Where was Copley Fielding from?+

  Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding was born in Yorkshire, near Sowerby, in 1787. His father, Nathan Fielding, was a painter who moved the family to London in 1790. Fielding became one of the most popular watercolourists of his time. He trained with John Varley, and he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1802, aged only 15. By 1810, he was elected into the Associate membership of the Watercolour Society, later becoming a full member. He became Treasurer of the Society, and then President in 1831, a position he held for most of the rest of his life. Although based in London, Copley Fielding travelled extensively in Britain and Europe. His subjects included the South Downs, the Lake District, and the Scottish Highlands. He died in 1855 at his home in Worthing, Sussex.
• Who did Copley Fielding influence?+

  Copley Fielding's influence is most apparent in the generation of watercolourists who followed him. He became an established figure in the British art world, particularly after becoming president of the Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1831, a position he held almost continuously until his death. His atmospheric style and interest in depicting weather effects had an impact on younger artists. Among those who studied with him were William Callow and Paul Jacob Naftel. Callow, known for his European scenes, adopted some of Fielding's techniques for rendering skies and distant views. Naftel, who painted Channel Island subjects, also shows a debt to Fielding's handling of watercolour washes. While Fielding's style was widely admired and imitated, some critics felt that his popularity led to a certain repetitiveness in his later work. Nevertheless, his impact on British watercolour painting is clear through the many artists who emulated his approach to composition and atmospheric effects.
• Who influenced Copley Fielding?+

  Copley Fielding, born in 1787, received early artistic training from his father, a portrait painter. He then studied with John Varley, a watercolourist associated with the Monro School. This group, which met at Dr. Thomas Monro's house, included artists such as Thomas Girtin and J.M.W. Turner. Varley's influence is apparent in Fielding's early work, particularly in his use of colour and atmospheric effects. Fielding also admired the work of other contemporary watercolourists, including Francis Nicholson and William Payne. Payne's techniques for preparing watercolour washes were particularly influential. Although Fielding developed his own distinctive style, the impact of these earlier artists is evident throughout his career. His rapid rise to fame, and later presidency of the Royal Watercolour Society, allowed him to then influence a subsequent generation of British painters working in watercolour. He died in 1855.
• Who was Copley Fielding?+

  John Constable (1776-1837) was an English Romantic painter. He is known for his landscapes of the Suffolk countryside, particularly the area around the River Stour. This area is now known as "Constable country". Unlike some other painters, Constable based his work on direct observation of nature. He made outdoor oil sketches, especially of cloud formations, believing the sky was the "key note" and "chief organ of sentiment" in a painting. He then used these sketches as studies for his larger studio paintings. Constable's devotion to natural appearances led him to reject the brownish tones common in landscape painting at the time. He insisted that these tones were due to darkened varnish on Old Master paintings. He sought to capture the shimmer of light by using small dabs of colour, sometimes criticised as "Constable's snow". Despite his dedication, Constable's work was not always well received. His father initially opposed his career as a painter, and critics sometimes called his style "coarse". However, he persisted, and his paintings, such as "The Hay Wain" (1821), are now recognised for their serene and gentle depictions of the English countryside.