Myles Birket Foster

Paintings of Myles Birket Foster (1825–1899)

Was a popular Victorian watercolorist and illustrator, famous for his romanticized depictions of the English countryside. Born into a Quaker family in North Shields, he moved to London at a young age and trained as a wood engraver under Ebenezer Landells, the co-founder of Punch magazine.

Foster began his career designing wood engravings for popular periodicals and books, including illustrated editions of poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Thomas Gray.

In the 1850s, he shifted his focus entirely to watercolor painting. He gained full membership in the Royal Watercolour Society in 1862.

He developed a meticulous stippling technique, applying small dots and delicate brushstrokes of bodycolor (gouache) to build texture and vibrant light effects.