Since before the exponents of the Arts and Crafts movement were born and before Impressionism, Symbolism and Realism, the art world has been supplied by Winsor and Newton. The company was founded by William Winsor (note: not Windsor) and Henry Newton in 1832 at 38 Rathbone Place, London, which at the time was at the heart of the artists’ quarter. The two founders were enthusiastic artists themselves and saw great potential what were to be their products.

The basis for Winsor and Newton’s early success was a rigorous scientific approach to making artists’ materials so that they could offer reliability and consistency batch after batch. They introduced new colours that hitherto artists had to try to mix themselves, often from raw pigments, a time-consuming and labour-intensive process that only professional artists could realistically perform – in fact it was ideally a job for people with laboratory experience. The availability of ready-mixed oils and watercolours was a boon to the amateur painters, and this meant that talented artists could earn a non-artistic living but devote more of their spare time to their painting. This was a period of technological growth with steam engines, labour laws and automation giving workers more spare time.

Tubes of oil paints and gouache are so ubiquitous today that it’s hard to imagine anything else being used, but before their invention, oils would generally be supplied in pigs’ bladders tied tightly at the top. In 1840, Winsor patented the glass paint tube, which would look to modern eyes like a syringe and indeed it worked in the same way. But shortly afterwards, the collapsible metal tube was invented by James Goff Rand. The brilliant design was honed by Winsor and Newton to create a means of supplying paint that lives on to this day.

It is fair to say that the company were partly responsible for the inspirational British art scene that thrived in the nineteenth century. It is known that JMW Turner used their sable brushes, which are regarded as the finest in the world as they use the peerless Kolinsky sable hair. The famous crest logo is to this day a sign of quality, and many artists will make a beeline for the Winsor and Newton section of their art shop. Another symbol the company is proud of is the Royal Warrant, by appointment to HRH the Prince of Wales, whose love of watercolour painting is well known. In fact their first such recognition came as being selected as “Artists’ Colourmen to Queen Victoria” in 1841.

On such strong foundations, the company grew ever larger, exporting to countries all over the world including the USA and Australia by the middle of the nineteenth century. Their range of products grew too, with brushes, canvases, papers, draughtsman’s equipment and, of course, new and innovative paints assisting amateurs and professionals alike. The company celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2007, a testament to a spirit of innovation and quality that was as vital to yesterday’s artists as it is to the modern student or professional.

Author Bio: Art Forbes-Lee is a published art supplies writer working for Pullingers and has researched this history of Winsor & Newton to provide art students with important information about their subject.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: art supplies, paint, watercolours