«Giovanni Antonio Canaletto (1697-1768) is one of the most popular of all old master painters. His views of Venice and London are much celebrated and admired. Canaletto began his career as a scene-painter with his father and his early work, such as the Architectural Capriccio of 1723, reflects this training. Unlike most of his fellow artists, Canaletto was interested in depicting the world around him, but he was more than a mere recorder of the amazing scenery of Venice or of Georgian England. He had the power, in the words of one of his contemporaries, to paint so that «the eye is deceived and truly believes it is the real thing it sees», and his insight and technical skills were so dazzling that it was thought he must rely on some sort of optical apparatus. His first views of Venice were painted around 1725 for Stefano Conti of Lucca. Soon after he came into contact with Joseph Smith, British Consul in Venice, who was to become his most important patron. Through Smith's influence, he came to England between about 1746 and 1756 during which time he painted many London scenes including views of Westminster Bridge, Whitehall, the Old Horse Guards, St James's Park and Somerset House as well as views of Warwick Castle and Eton College.»

Long considered the father of English watercolor painting, Paul Sandby (1731–1809) painted views throughout Britain, finding new scenes in a country undergoing rapid social and commercial development, and portraying familiar ones with a fresh eye. Encompassing rural, urban, modern, and historical themes, his art is unrivalled among that of his contemporaries for its remarkable range. Today, Sandby’s paintings appear in collections around the globe, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In this comprehensive survey of Sandby’s life and work, published to celebrate the artist’s bicentenary, leading authorities draw on new research to offer fresh perspectives on the development of eighteenth-century British art and the Sandby’s role in popularizing and professionalizing the medium of watercolor. The authors also explore the artist’s influence as a teacher and his innovations in printmaking, as well as the cultural and geographical scope of his work.

• New research on this very popular part of the National Gallery of Scotland s collection, including informative commentaries on each of the works • Accompanies an exhibition of to be held in January 2007 in the National Gallery of Scotland J. M.W.Turner (1775-1851) was perhaps the most prolific and innovative of all British artists. His outstanding watercolours in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland are one of the most popular features of its collection. Bequeathed to the Gallery in 1899 by the distinguished collector, Henry Vaughan, they have been exhibited, as he requested, every January for over 100 years. Renowned for their excellent state of preservation, they provide a remarkable overview of many of the most important aspects of Turner's career. This new, richly illustrated book, will provide an authoritative commentary on the watercolours, taking account of recent research, and addressing questions of technique and function, as well as considering some of the numerous contacts Turner had with other artists, collectors and dealers. The introduction will concentrate on Henry Vaughan, one of the greatest enthusiasts for British art in the late nineteenth century, whose diverse collections have not previously been fully studied and appreciated.