h drawings by Albrecht Durer, produced with great freedom in
the early part of the sixteenth century, are in the British Museum.
The Dutch masters also employed the same means. Holbein introduced the
painting of miniature portraits into this country, for although the
monks inserted figures in their illuminations, little attempt was made
in producing likenesses. As early as the middle of the seventeenth
century the term "water colours" came into use. In an inventory, in
manuscript, of the personal estate of Charles I, which was sold by an
Act of Parliament, numerous pictures are thus described.

Wenceslaus Hollar, a native of Prague, came to England in 1637, and
became drawing-master to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. The
painting of landscapes was first introduced by him into this country. He
made topographical drawings with a reed pen, and afterwards added slight
local colours. The earliest Englishman known to follow this style was
Francis Barlow. He is principally noted for his drawings with a pen,
slightly tinted, of animals and birds, with landscapes in the
background. Later, Peter Monamy, a marine painter who was born in
Jersey, produced drawings in a similar manner. Early in the eighteenth
century Pieter Tillemans came to England, and painted hunting scenes,
race-horses and country-seats. He worked in a free style in washes of
colour without any outlines with a pen or underlying grey tints. To a
"Natural History of Birds," by George Edwards, library keeper to the
Royal College of Physicians, published in 1751, is added an appendix,
entitled, "A Brief and General Idea of Drawing and Painting in Water
Colours: Intended for the amusement of the curious rather than the
instruction of artists." In it he states, "There are two ways of
painting in water colours: one by mixing white with your colours and
laying on a thick body; the other is only washing your paper or vellum
with a thin water tinctured with colour." After giving details of the
methods to be employed he adds, "the former method of using water
colours is called painting and the other washing or staining." During
the latter half of the century it became a fashion for landed gentry to
have engravings made of their country seats, and antiquarian
publications with illustrations were produced. These created a demand
for topographical draughtsmen to assist the engravers. In the catalogues
of the Exhibitions of the Society of Artists, the first of which wa