Watercolour has always been considered the poorer cousin of oil paintings, with a focus on the safe genres of still life and landscapes.
With its 200th exhibition, the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours is aiming to show that the medium is still going strong and is much more diverse in its range of paintings than the stereotype suggests.
There is plenty of what you'd expect — intricately detailed paintings of countryside and close-ups of flowers. But there are also cubist, impressionist and surrealist works on display. One highlight is Aimee Birnbaun's gritty paintings of a flooded London.
The majority of the art is on sale ranging from £300 to £4000, with nearly 400 works to choose from.
Though watercolour may still be seen by many as the medium of the amateur, this exhibition shows that there's a lot to like about it.
The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 200th Exhibition is on at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, SW1Y until 25 March. Admission is £2.50, concessions available.
