About Samuel Phillips Jackson
Samuel Phillips Jackson (1830-1904) was born in Bristol in 1830. His father, Samuel Jackson, was also a landscape painter. He was taught by his father at an early age to paint, and studied figure drawing at school. He later started to concentrate on landscapes and seascapes and first exhibited in London at the age of 20.
In 1851, his work was shown at the British Institution, where between that year and 1857 he exhibited nine pictures. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1852, and from that year to 1881 sent eight paintings and eight drawings. In 1853, he was made associate of the Royal Watercolour Society, which influenced him to work exclusively in watercolour from then on.
His earlier paintings were mainly in oils and were often of Devon and Cornish coastal scenes, which many of them won the praise of Ruskin.
He briefly lived in Henley-on-Thames, where he painted many views of the Thames.
Samuel Jackson also had other artistic interests such as photography. He invented an instantaneous shutter for which he gained a medal from the Royal Photographic Society.