Roadside Scene in Rome

Francis Towne was a watercolour painter of landscapes and is known for his wide-ranging subject matter. It was after a tour to North Wales in 1777 that he started to specialise in watercolours. Early works are known for their elegant style, whilst works after 1800 are heavier and more conventional.
Towne first travelled to Italy in 1780. Whilst there he was exposed to the work of other watercolour artists such as John ‘Warick’ Smith (1749-1831) and William Parrs, a London friend. He made the return journey the following year through the Alps.
He was denied recognition by the London art establishment. They did not feel that he could be considered as a proper landscape painter as he made his living teaching amateur artists in Exeter. His case was not helped by the fact that he rarely submitted works to the Royal Academy exhibitions.

From 1788 onwards, Towne began a 15-year campaign for election to the Royal Academy. He made 11 attempts to become a member during his lifetime, all of which failed. Following his final rejection in 1803, Towne decided to secure his artistic legacy by organising an exhibition of work in London in 1805. The centrepieces of his exhibition were his Rome drawings that were bequeathed to the British Museum.

Re-discovered in the 1950s, his work has emerged from obscurity finding favour with contemporary audiences for pioneering use of flat planes and the spare, angular design of his work.