born Oct. 25, 1801, Arnold, Eng.
died Sept. 23, 1828, London
British painter active in France.
In 1818 he went to Paris to study with Antoine-Jean Gros . His skill in watercolour, a novelty in Paris, attracted many imitators. He exhibited at the famous "English" Salon of 1824 and won a gold medal. With John Constable and J.M.W. Turner , he popularized the oil sketch, a rapidly executed record of the transitory effects of nature. He became influential in England and France as a master of the Romantic movement and a technical innovator. His death at age 26 cut short a brilliant career.