The tradition of English watercolor began in the 1700s. It started with a topographical bent, but quickly evolved into a poetic world steeped in beauty, the wonder of nature, and often a search for a romantic past. Artists looked to ancient castles, modest cottages, stony cliffs, and quiet back roads all over their country and occasionally beyond. We might think of these works as forerunners to the escapist pleasures of travel and nature shows so popular on TV today.