Thomas Girtin

Thomas Girtin (18 February 1775 – 9 November 1802) was an English painter and etcher. A friend and rival of J. M. W. Turner, Girtin played a key role in establishing watercolour as a reputable art form. Thomas Girtin was born in Southwark, London, the son of a well-to-do brushmaker of Huguenot descent. His father died while Thomas was a child, and his mother then married a...