James Orrock

Lincoln Cathedral

James Orrock originally trained as a dentist in Edinburgh before moving to Nottingham where he began to paint and first studied art at the Nottingham School of Design. Following a move to London in 1866, he embarked on a career as a full-time artist. He first was elected an associate in 1871 and, later, a full member in 1875 of the Royal Institute. Throughout a long career, Orrock exhibited widely and with success and was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards. As a watercolorist and landscape artist, Orrock was influenced by David Cox, in both his style and subject matter. He was a passionate advocate of British art and, following his move to London, became a major collector of fine and decorative arts. He primarily collected English 18th and 19th-century pictures and watercolors, 18th-century furniture, and 17th and 18th-century Chinese porcelain. Orrock established himself as a leading taste-maker in society, becoming a passionate and, finally, successful advocate for the establishment of a National Gallery of British art.