Alfred Walter Williams (18 July 1824 - 16 December 1905) was a Victorian landscape painter.

Alfred was born in Southwark

Southwark

Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...

, London, one of identical twins born to the painter Edward Williams

Edward Williams (painter)

Edward Williams was an English landscape painter. He was the son of engraver Edward Williams and Mary Ward, daughter of James & Rachael Ward....

 and Ann Hildebrandt; the second twin, Charles dying shortly after. Alfred's father and five brothers were all well-known landscape artists.
Alfred's work was first accepted by the Royal Academy

Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...

 in 1843, after which he regularly exhibited there, until 1890. Like his siblings he also exhibited at the Society of British Artists, renamed the Royal Society of British Artists

Royal Society of British Artists

The Royal Society of British Artists is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.-History:...

 in 1887. With the improved fortunes of Edward Williams' family, they moved in 1846 from Cromer Street to 32 Castlenau, Barnes in Surrey. There the large coach house was put to use as a family studio. The house exists to this day as 92 Castlenau. With the growing fame of the family they were known as the Williams School of Artists or simply as the Barnes School. Alfred had a close friendship with his brother Sidney Richard Percy

Sidney Richard Percy

Sidney Richard Percy , born Sidney Richard Percy Williams, was an English landscape painter.-Biography:...

 and bride, and in 1857 boarded with them for a while at their home Florence Villa, in Wimbledon

Wimbledon, London

Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...

.

Around 1860 Alfred settled in Reigate

Reigate

Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...

 in Surrey. He is recorded in the 1861 census as boarding with Mr and Mrs Fitzsimon and in 1870 was at Mead Vale in Redhill

Redhill, Surrey

Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...

, Surrey. In 1895 he had moved to 40 Croydon Road, Reigate

Reigate

Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...

, close to his brother, Arthur Gilbert

Arthur Gilbert

Arthur Gilbert , born Arthur Gilbert Frederick Williams, was a British painter from the Victorian era.-Biography:...

 who lived in Limpsfield

Limpsfield

Limpsfield is a village and parish in the east of the county of Surrey, England near Oxted at the foot of the North Downs. It lies between the A25 to the south and the M25 motorway to the north, near the Clackett Lane service station...

. He died at 31 Francis Road, Croydon

Croydon

Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...

.

Alfred Walter Williams produced grand and romantic landscapes in the best tradition of the Williams family, which through their popularity became the most successful Victorian family of painters. Alfred became a founder member of the Holmesdale Fine Arts Club, prominent in Reigate from around 1865. He counted amongst his friends Charles Davidson

Charles Davidson

Sir Charles William Davidson KBE was an Australian politician. He attended Townsville Grammar School in 1912 and 1913. He served in World War I and on his return was a dairy farmer and later grew sugar cane. During World War II, he served in the 42nd Battalion of the Australian Army in New...

 RWS (1820–1902) and a number of other noted artists including Samuel Palmer

Samuel Palmer

Samuel Palmer was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in Romanticism in Britain and produced visionary pastoral paintings.-Early life:...

 and the Linnell family.

Related sites

• Edward Williams
  Edward Williams (painter)
  Edward Williams was an English landscape painter. He was the son of engraver Edward Williams and Mary Ward, daughter of James & Rachael Ward....
  
  
• Edward Charles Williams
  Edward Charles Williams
  Edward Charles Williams was an English landscape painter.He was the eldest son of Edward Williams and Ann Hildebrandt . He was taught painting by his father, adopting much of his style and technique...
  
  
• Henry John Boddington
  Henry John Boddington
  Henry John Boddington was an English landscape painter.-Life and work:Boddington was born Henry John Williams in St Marylebone, London, the second son of painter Edward Williams and his wife Anne . He had five brothers, all of whom became landscape painters...
  
  
• George Augustus Williams
  George Augustus Williams
  -Life and work:Williams was born in St Marylebone, London, the third son of painter Edward Williams and Ann Hildebrandt.George Augustus painted riverscapes of the Thames, moonlit landscapes, seascapes and views of Kent, Wales and elsewhere...
  
  
• Arthur Gilbert
  Arthur Gilbert
  Arthur Gilbert , born Arthur Gilbert Frederick Williams, was a British painter from the Victorian era.-Biography:...
  
  
• Sidney Richard Percy
  Sidney Richard Percy
  Sidney Richard Percy , born Sidney Richard Percy Williams, was an English landscape painter.-Biography:...