William Anderson

1757-1837

British (London, England)

William Anderson was born in Scotland, where he became a shipwright. It was not until his thirties that he began to pursue painting seriously, choosing to specialize in marine painting. Anderson moved to London and based his style on the Dutch 17th-century masters. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1780 and continued to exhibit annually until 1811. He then exhibited intermittently until 1834. His best work was executed in the years 1790 to 1810 during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, at which time the demand for naval paintings was high.