Albert Williams

Albert Williams specialised in flower painting

Albert Williams was born in Hove in Sussex on 20 March 1922. In his inclination for painting, he followed in the footsteps of both his father, Arthur C. Williams, and his grandfather, who were both artists. The young Albert learnt the foundations of painting from them before attending art schools in Brighton, London and Paris and in addition, studied figure and portrait painting under Louis Ginnett as well as landscape and watercolour painting with Charles Knight. Albert himself eventually specialized in flower painting and mainly focused on oil painting. He found inspiration for his compositions directly in nature whereby he portrayed each individual blossom from life. Dutch painting of the 17th century and Gerard van Spaendonck initially had a great influence of the art of Albert Williams but he soon distanced himself from the severity of the classical style of his early years in favour of a more independent, freer and above all more natural manner of painting. 

Lively exhibition activity and social engagement

Albert Williams exhibited in the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon, at the Edinburgh Festival, and in numerous further renowned galleries in London and throughout England. He was a hard and meticulous worker, who painted all year round and took the greatest care of his depictions: If a particular flower was no longer available in full bloom, he would stop work on the painting in question and put it on hold for a whole year until the new season began again. Although he tried his hand at other subjects at times, he always returned to flower painting. Alongside his own artistic activity, Albert Williams was also extremely interested in the other arts, with a particular affinity for 19th century music, in particular German Romanticism as represented by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. A regular theater and operagoer, Albert Williams was also involved in the worldwide peace movement in various environmental organisations.

Albert Williams died in 2010.