James Holland

James Holland was born in Staffordshire, UK, where his grandfather, Thomas Holland, produced pottery. In 1819, he came to London where he continued to work as a pottery painter, but also gave lessons in drawing landscapes, architecture, and marine subjects. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1824 and in 1830 visited France and made studies of its architecture.From the early 1830s onwards Holland undertook extensive tours on the Continent where he made many studies of France, the...See more

James Holland was born in Staffordshire, UK, where his grandfather, Thomas Holland, produced pottery. In 1819, he came to London where he continued to work as a pottery painter, but also gave lessons in drawing landscapes, architecture, and marine subjects. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1824 and in 1830 visited France and made studies of its architecture.From the early 1830s onwards Holland undertook extensive tours on the Continent where he made many studies of France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and Venice. He continued to work in genre and landscape painting, as well as botanical painting, throughout his career. Despite his talent and artistic output, Holland's reputation seems to have faded after his death in 1870. His work is admired today as a bridge between Romanticism and Impressionism and he is finally recognized as an important painter of light and composition. See less