Famous British Artists & Painters

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If you have ever walked into an art gallery, you would know the magic that art creates. Paintings strung on wall may seem insipid from the outside but just as you step in, you would be enthralled by the magnificent magic that they exude. And just when you get closer to any of them, you would be transported into a world imagined and created on the canvas by the painter. Paintings are not mere amalgamation of colors and creativity. Each painting is the product of vivid imagination and has a gripping story to tell. While the world has been thronged by superlative painters from across the countries, it is British painters that we would be directing our focus on to in this section. Britain has given the world some of the greatest painters since centuries. Unless you have closed your eyes and ears to the world, you would have definitely heard about Francis Bacon, J.M.W. Turner, William Hogarth, John Ruskin, John Everest Millais, Thomas Gainsborough, David Hockney and Damien Hirst. Each of them has been amongst the world’s most talented painters and artists across centuries. Browse ahead and immerse yourself in the artistic galore of these famous British painters.
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 1 
William Blake
(English Poet Who is Considered a Seminal Figure in the History of the Poetry of the Romantic Age)
William Blake
16
Birthdate: November 28, 1757
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: August 12, 1827
William Blake, author of The Songs of Innocence and of Experience, was a prominent figure of the early phase of the Romantic Age, known as the pre-Romantic era. Known for his visual artistry and poetry, he was also a staunch abolitionist and a forerunner of the "free love" movement.
 2 
J. M. W. Turner
(Romantic painter)
J. M. W. Turner
13
Birthdate: April 23, 1775
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
Died: December 19, 1851

J. M. W. Turner was an English printmaker, painter, and watercolorist best remembered for his imaginative landscapes and expressive colorizations. Intensely reclusive and eccentric throughout his life, Turner lived in poor health and squalor for the last few years of his life. He was portrayed by actor Timothy Spall in the 2014 biographical film, Mr. Turner.

 3 
David Hockney
(Painter)
David Hockney
10
Birthdate: July 9, 1937
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bradford

Painter, photographer, printmaker, and stage designer David Hockney is best known for his works such as Portrait of an Artist, which became the most expensive piece of art by a living artist ever auctioned, at $90 million. His works have explored themes such as homosexuality. He has synesthesia, too.

 4 
Banksy
(Graffiti Artist)
Banksy
7
Birthdate: 1974 AD
Birthplace: Bristol, England

Speaking to world through his spray paints and stencils, Banksy is a popular, though anonymous, graffiti artist. He has a unique style that includes stenciling technique and is known for delivering satirical political and social messages. With fans all over the world, this mysterious artist’s works are worth millions of pounds.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti
4
Birthdate: May 12, 1828
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
Died: April 9, 1882

Known for founding the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Dante Gabriel Rossetti was a legendary poet and painter of the 19th century. His illustrations also adorned the books of his poet sister Christina Rossetti. Known for volumes such as The House of Life, he also influenced the Aesthetic movement.

 6 
John Ruskin
(Art Critic and Painter)
John Ruskin
5
Birthdate: February 8, 1819
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: England
Died: January 20, 1900

The leading English art critic of the Victorian era, John Ruskin was a hugely influential figure in the latter half of the 19th century. Also a philosopher and prominent social thinker, he wrote on varied subjects like geology, architecture, education, botany, myth, ornithology, literature, and political economy. He founded the charitable trust Guild of St George.

 7 
Francis Bacon
(Painter)
Francis Bacon
9
Birthdate: October 28, 1909
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: April 28, 1992

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman. He played a major role in the development of the scientific method and was an influential figure through the scientific revolution. He served as attorney general and as lord chancellor of England and was the first recipient of the queen's counsel designation. He has created Baron Verulam in 1618. 

 8 
John Constable
(Romantic Painter)
John Constable
4
Birthdate: June 11, 1776
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: East Bergholt
Died: March 31, 1837
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 9 
Christopher Tolkien
(Editor, Illustrator, Academic and the Son of Author J. R. R. Tolkien)
Christopher Tolkien
7
Birthdate: November 21, 1924
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Leeds, United Kingdom
Died: January 16, 2020

Christopher Tolkien was a French and English academic editor. The son of legendary author J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher edited much of his father's work, which was published after his father's demise. Christopher Tolkien is also credited with drawing the original maps in, The Lord of the Rings, one of his father's highly acclaimed novels.

 10 
L. S. Lowry
(Artist)
L. S. Lowry
6
Birthdate: November 1, 1887
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Stretford, Lancashire, England
Died: February 23, 1976

Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English painter, known for his bleak urban industrial landscapes, peopled with human figures akin to “matchstick men”. He became interested in the subject while working at a Manchester real-estate and began depicting what he saw. Although critics are divided over his stature, they all agree on the relevance of his works as a social commentary.

 11 
Jwan Yosef
(Swedish Painter and Artist Who is Specializes in Plastic Arts)
Jwan Yosef
8
Birthdate: September 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Al-Hasakah, Syria

Jwan Yosef is a Swedish artist and painter who specializes in plastic arts. Over the course of his career, Yosef has participated in a number of group exhibitions and art fairs. He is also credited with founding The Bomb Factory Art Foundation in North London.

 12 
William Hogarth
6
Birthdate: November 10, 1697
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: October 26, 1764
 13 
Jade Jagger
8
Birthdate: October 21, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris

Jewelry and home designer Jade Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, has also been a model. She launched the fashion brand Jade Inc. and a lifestyle concept called Jezebel. She has also worked for Garrard and designed luxury apartments in New York and Mumbai.

 14 
John Everett Millais
7
Birthdate: June 8, 1829
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Southampton, Hampshire, England
Died: August 13, 1896
 15 
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
5
Birthdate: June 7, 1868
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Townhead, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Died: December 10, 1928

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, and artist. He was married to fellow artist Margaret Macdonald, and they both were influential on the European design movements Art Nouveau and Secessionism. Mackintosh is considered one of the most important figures of Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style). In his later years, he worked largely as a watercolorist. 

 16 
Lucian Freud
(British Painter Who was One of the Foremost 20th-Century English Portraitists)
Lucian Freud
4
Birthdate: December 8, 1922
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: July 20, 2011

The son of architect L. Freud and the grandson of legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, painter Lucian Freud was born in Berlin but later moved to London to flee Nazism. He showed an inclination toward surrealism initially but later drifted to realism. Cedric Morris remains one of his notable works.

 17 
Neil Buchanan
(Television presenter)
Neil Buchanan
5
Birthdate: October 11, 1961
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Aintree, Liverpool, England, UK
 18 
Justine Frischmann
(Was the Lead Singer of the Britpop band 'Elastica' and Co-Founder of the Rock Band 'Suede')
Justine Frischmann
6
Birthdate: September 16, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kensington, London, England
 19 
Aubrey Beardsley
(Illustrator)
Aubrey Beardsley
4
Birthdate: August 21, 1872
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brighton, England
Died: March 16, 1898

Aubrey Beardsley was an English illustrator and author, whose works emphasized the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. A leading figure in the aesthetic movement, he was deeply influenced by black ink drawings. He attended classes at the Westminster School of Art before beginning his career as an artist. He was considered an eccentric person.  

 20 
Graham Sutherland
(Painter, Artist)
Graham Sutherland
4
Birthdate: August 24, 1903
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Streatham
Died: February 17, 1980
 21 
Eric Gill
(The Greatest Artist-Craftsman of the 20th Century)
Eric Gill
5
Birthdate: February 22, 1882
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brighton, Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Died: November 17, 1940

English sculptor and printer Eric Gill first gained attention with his work Mother and Child. Apart from co-founding the St. Dominic’s Press, he also contributed to the illustrations and woodcuts for The Four Gospels. He was also infamous form his deviant sexual behavior, which included incest and animal abuse.

 22 
Daniel Chatto
(Actor)
Daniel Chatto
4
Birthdate: April 22, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
 23 
Frieda Hughes
(Painter, Poet)
Frieda Hughes
6
Birthdate: April 1, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
 24 
Thomas Gainsborough
(Landscape painter)
Thomas Gainsborough
5
Birthdate: May 14, 1727
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Sudbury, England
Died: August 2, 1788
 25 
Derek Jarman
(Film director, Actor, Screenwriter, Diarist, Painter, Costume designer, LGBT rights activist)
Derek Jarman
4
Birthdate: January 31, 1942
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Northwood
Died: February 19, 1994
 26 
Leonora Carrington
(Mexican Surrealist Painter and Novelist)
Leonora Carrington
4
Birthdate: April 6, 1917
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, England
Died: May 25, 2011

Leonora Carrington was a Mexican artist, novelist, and surrealist painter. During the 1970s, Carrington played an important role in Mexico's women's liberation movement as she was one of the founding members of the movement. Carrington, who was fascinated by symbolism and myth, studied alchemy, Popol Vuh, post-classic Mayan mystical writings, and the kabbalah.

 27 
Chris Barrie
(Actor and Impressionist Known for His Notable Performance in a Television Cartoon Show 'Spitting Image')
Chris Barrie
4
Birthdate: March 28, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany

Born to an armyman father, Chris Barrie worked as a grave filler after dropping out of college. He then got a break on a TV show. Best known for his portrayal of Arnold Rimmer in the series Red Dwarf, he also gained fame with the BBC sitcom The Brittas Empire.

 28 
Thomas Cole
(Painter)
Thomas Cole
4
Birthdate: February 1, 1801
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bolton, Lancashire, England
Died: February 11, 1848
 29 
Vanessa Bell
(Painter)
Vanessa Bell
5
Birthdate: May 30, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London
Died: April 7, 1961
 30 
John Berger
(Novelist)
John Berger
4
Birthdate: November 5, 1926
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 2, 2017
 31 
Branwell Brontë
(Painter, Poet, Writer)
Branwell Brontë
5
Birthdate: June 26, 1817
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Yorkshire
Died: September 24, 1848
 32 
Neil Harbisson
(Cyborg Artist Known for Being the First Person in the World With an Antenna Implanted in His Skull)
Neil Harbisson
4
Birthdate: July 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mataró, Spain

Neil Harbisson is a cyborg artist best known for implanting an antenna in his skull. He is the first person in the world to do so. He gained international prominence after he was legally recognized by the government as a cyborg. An influential activist for transpecies rights, Neil Harbisson co-founded the Cyborg Foundation in 2010. The organization defends cyborg rights.

 33 
Judith Kerr
(Writer and illustrator whose books sold more than 10 million copies around the world)
Judith Kerr
4
Birthdate: June 14, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: May 22, 2019
 34 
Gertrude Jekyll
(Horticulturist, Painter, Gardener, Non-fiction writer, Botanist, Architect)
Gertrude Jekyll
4
Birthdate: November 29, 1843
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London
Died: December 8, 1932

Landscape architect Gertrude Jekyll was born into an affluent family and grew up in a refined environment, learning music and traveling. Initially interested in painting, she gave it up to focus on gardening when she developed eyesight problems. She built around 400 gardens and also collaborated with Sir Edwin Lutyens.

 35 
Gerald Scarfe
(Caricaturist, Illustrator, Designer, Animator, Artist, Postage stamp designer, Painter)
Gerald Scarfe
3
Birthdate: June 1, 1936
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: St John's Wood
 36 
John Tenniel
(Illustrator)
John Tenniel
4
Birthdate: February 28, 1820
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bayswater, London, England
Died: February 25, 1914
 37 
Terry O'Neill
(Photographer)
Terry O'Neill
4
Birthdate: July 30, 1938
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: London, England
Died: November 16, 2019

Terry O'Neill was a British photographer best remembered for capturing the fashions and celebrities of the '60s. O'Neill was renowned for documenting his subjects in unconventional settings or candidly. His work has been showcased in several exhibitions and art galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 2011, Terry O'Neill was honored with the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal.

 38 
W. S. Gilbert
(Dramatist)
W. S. Gilbert
3
Birthdate: November 18, 1836
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Southampton Street, London, England
Died: May 29, 1911
 39 
Peter Greenaway
(Welsh Artist, Film Director, and Screenwriter)
Peter Greenaway
4
Birthdate: April 5, 1942
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Newport

Peter Greenaway is a Welsh artist, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for making films with common traits, such as the contrasts of nature and architecture, costume and nudity, sexual pleasure and painful death, and furniture and people. Some of his best-known films include The Pillow Book and Goltzius and the Pelican Company.

 40 
Charlotte Johnson Wahl
(Painter, Mother of Boris Johnson)
Charlotte Johnson Wahl
4
Birthdate: 1942
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Oxford, United Kingdom
Died: September 13, 2021

Artist Charlotte Johnson Wahl is the mother of British prime minister Boris Johnson and British journalist Rachel Johnson. She is known for her portraits and her signature style that mirrors the Vorticist style. Her creations have been featured at the Bethlem Museum of the Mind.

 41 
Anish Kapoor
(Sculpture known for works like Cloud Gate in Chicago and Sky Mirror in New York, he won the Premio Duemila Prize in 1990 and the Turner Prize in 1991.)
Anish Kapoor
4
Birthdate: March 12, 1954
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, india

Born in India, sculptor Anish Kapoor initially studied engineering in Israel but soon quit his studies to study art in Britain. The Turner Prize-winning artist was the first living artist to earn a solo show at London’s Royal Academy of Arts. The Cloud Gate in Chicago remain his best-loved work.

 42 
Stephen Wiltshire
(Architectural artist)
Stephen Wiltshire
4
Birthdate: April 24, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
 43 
Arthur Rackham
(Former Illustrator best-known works include the illustrations for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm)
Arthur Rackham
3
Birthdate: September 19, 1867
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vauxhall, London, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 6, 1939
 44 
Alfred Sisley
(Impressionist Landscape Painter)
Alfred Sisley
3
Birthdate: October 30, 1839
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 29, 1899
 45 
Edward Burne-Jones
3
Birthdate: August 28, 1833
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Died: June 17, 1898
 46 
Louis Wain
(Artist, Painter)
Louis Wain
4
Birthdate: August 5, 1860
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: London
Died: July 4, 1939
 47 
John Singleton Copley
(American Painter Known for His Work ‘Watson and the Shark’)
John Singleton Copley
3
Birthdate: July 3, 1738
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: September 9, 1815
 48 
Duncan Grant
(Painter)
Duncan Grant
3
Birthdate: January 21, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rothiemurchus, Aviemore, Scotland
Died: May 8, 1978
 49 
Arthur Ransome
(Author)
Arthur Ransome
3
Birthdate: January 18, 1884
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Leeds, England
Died: June 3, 1967
 50 
Jack Vettriano
(Painter)
Jack Vettriano
3
Birthdate: November 17, 1951
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Methil, Fife