Italy, Lake Orta. Isola di San Giulio, Lago d'Orta. Collingwood Smith. c1858

by Collingwood Smith, William

Antique print, Island of San Giulio, Lake Orta (west of Lake Maggiore) in northern Italy.

William Collingwood Smith (1815-1887) was a noted English watercolourist who studied under eminent artist James Duffield Hardy. Collingwood Smith travelled extensively through Britain and the continent, and preferred marine, river scenes and sweeping landscapes. He was a member of the Society of Painters in Water Colours (which became the Royal Water Colour Society), and exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1836 and 1855.

Collingwood Smith was a well-regarded teacher, with professional as well as amateur students, military, and naval officers. His watercolours were often engraved for The Illustrated London News, as in this instance, on May 22, 1858.

The Illustrated London News was the world's first graphic newspaper. Published weekly from 1842, its engraved images of events and discoveries from around the world ensured its popularity. Engravings from this publication have always been avidly collected and hand-tinted with watercolour for further enjoyment.

Page size is 41 x 29 cm (approximately 16 x 11 inches).