they should form a separate society for the promotion of water-colour
painting. After considerable negotiations, ten artists met together in
November, 1804, and founded the Society of Painters in Water Colours.
The first exhibition was held in the Spring of the following year at
rooms in Lower Brook Street. After various vicissitudes and many changes
of abode this society, known in later years as the "Old" Society,
eventually obtained a lease of the premises in Pall Mall East. Thus,
after much roving for seventeen years, a permanent home was secured, and
the centenary of the occupation of these galleries has just been
completed. Varley and Glover were two of the original members. De Wint,
Copley Fielding, David Cox and Samuel Prout were subsequently elected
Associates, and afterwards became full members.

Amongst the founders the name of John Varley stands out beyond the
others. He was born at Hackney (see Plate XIV) in 1778. Receiving but
little instruction in art besides the assistance given to him by Dr.
Monro, he became a teacher of considerable reputation. Amongst his
pupils were many who afterwards became famous. To mention only a few,
there were William Mulready, who married his sister, Copley Fielding,
who espoused his wife's sister, W. Turner (of Oxford), David Cox,
William H. Hunt, Oliver Finch and John Linnell. Varley was a prolific
worker, and contributed more than seven hundred drawings to the "Old"
Society, averaging about forty works annually. His style was broad and
simple, with tints beautifully laid, without resort to stippling. He
wrote some works on drawing and perspective. He also was an enthusiast
in astrology, and compiled a "Treatise on Zodiacal Physiognomy." John
Glover was a landscape painter and produced works, both in oil and in
water colours, into which he frequently introduced cattle. His father
having been a small farmer may account for this partiality for animals.
In water-colour painting he followed the methods of William Payne, the
inventor of a grey tint known as Payne's grey, in producing foliage by
splitting the hairs of his brush in order to give a feeling of
lightness, and he was partial to sunlight effects (see Plate XV). He was
President of the "Old" Society on two occasions, but he resigned his
membership, so as to become eligible for election to the Royal Academy.
He failed in his object and joined the Society of British Artists.
Glover suddenly left England in 1831, and went