William Marlow (1740 – 14 January 1813) was a British landscape and marine painter and etcher.
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Marlow was born in Southwark in London, and studied for 5 years[1] under the marine painter Samuel Scott, and also at the St. Martin's Lane Academy, London.
He became a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists, and from 1762 to 1764 contributed to their exhibitions in Spring Gardens. He was employed in painting views of country houses.
From 1765 to 1768, on the advice of the Duchess of Northumberland, he travelled in France and Italy. On his return to Britain he renewed his contributions to the Society of Artists, and took up residence in Leicester Square, London - he was made a Fellow of the Society in 1771.
In 1788 he moved to Twickenham, and started to exhibit at the Royal Academy, showing works regularly until 1796, and again, for the last time, in 1807, when he exhibited Twickenham Ferry by Moonlight.
Marlow died in Twickenham on 14 January 1813.
Marlow painted in both oils and watercolours, and drew marine and landscape scenes. He was influenced by Richard Wilson[1] and Canaletto. According to one critic, "his drawings are graceful but of no great power, and his method in water-colour did not advance beyond tinting", and "he realised a moderate competence".[2] Another writer commented, "his watercolours are rather feeble in the stained manner, but his views of the Thames are truthful and delicate in colour".[3]
His subjects were generally British country scenes, but he painted some pictures from his Italian sketches, and etched some of the latter, as well as some views on the Thames. His views of the bridges at Westminster and Blackfriars in London were engraved.
He made some etchings: in 1795 his former pupil, John Curtis, published a set of six Italian views by Marlow.[4]
Marlow contributed to an album of watercolours illustrating William Chambers's designs for buildings and improvements at Kew Gardens. In 1763 the pictures were engraved and published in a volume entitled Plans, Elevations, Sections and Perspective Views of the Gardens and Buildings of Kew in Surrey, the Seat of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Dowager of Wales.[5]
In an oil painting entitled Capriccio: St Paul's and a Venetian Canal (c.1795), now in the collection of the Tate Gallery, Marlow created an architectural fantasy in which Wren's cathedral was transferred to the Italian city.[6]
Marlow exhibited in all 152 works - 125 at the Society of Artists, two at the Free Society of Artists, and twenty-five at the Royal Academy.
Much of Marlow's work is to be found in the Government Art Collection and Tate Gallery in London, and some in regional galleries in Britain including Derby Art Gallery.[7].