author
W. G. (William George) Rawlinson
1840–1928
Best known as a Turner scholar and collector, this English writer brought unusual care and detail to the study of prints and art history. His books helped preserve and organize knowledge of J. M. W. Turner’s engraved work for later readers and researchers.
1 Audiobook
The Water-Colours of J. M. W. Turner
by J. M. W. (Joseph Mallord William) Turner, A. J. (Alexander Joseph) Finberg, W. G. (William George) Rawlinson
About the author
Born in Taunton, Somerset, in 1840, William George Rawlinson was an English silk merchant who also became an important collector and writer on art. Several reliable reference sources describe him as a leading student of J. M. W. Turner’s work, especially Turner’s prints and engravings.
Rawlinson is remembered above all for books such as Turner’s Liber Studiorum and The Engraved Work of J. M. W. Turner, R.A. These studies were valued for their careful cataloguing and close attention to detail, and later museum references note that his work remained an authority on the subject.
Alongside his writing, he was active in the art world as a collector and was connected with London business life through the silk trade. He died in London in 1928, leaving behind a reputation as a patient, serious scholar whose books are still useful to readers interested in Turner and the history of British art.