Paul Sandby (1731 - 1809)

Paul Sandby

Paul Sandby was a British watercolorist, draughtsman and printmaker, and a founder member of the Royal Academy.

Sandby first worked as a draughtsman and cartographer before painting his first paintings, watercolors of bridges, fortifications and Scottish landscapes, as well as views of Windsor. These works eventually made him a sought-after artist. Sandby also painted many caricatures and skillfully documented eighteenth-century British social life.

In 1768, Sandby, his brother Thomas Sandby and 27 other artists became founding members of the Royal Academy in London. He is now considered one of the founders of English watercolor.