DescriptionPhotograph of watercolor painting of a thistles by William Rowell Derrick. William Rowell Derrick (1857-1941) Derrick began studying art at the Adelphi Academy. In 1879 he went to Paris and studied under Leon Bonnat. From 1883-1885 he studied at the Academie Julien under Gustave Boulanger and Jules Lefebvre, spending the summers in artist colonies in England, Grez and Holland. In 1885 he had a painting exhibited at the Paris Salon.Derrick returned to New York in 1885 and taught at the Gotham Art Students League and Brooklyn Students Guild, he also joined the Art Students League in New York. Derrick's primary patron from c. 1900-1937 was Stewart W. Hartshorn. He summered with the Hartshorns in Short Hills, New Jersey and Squam Lake, New Hampshire, painting portraits of the family and landscapes. Derrick was also well known as a watercolorist. From 1895-1910, he showed in the major watercolor exhibitions of the period and received a gold medal for a work shown at the 1903 American Art Society of Philadelphia. Derrick remained active throughout his life. He died on January 9, 1941 in Rhinebeck, New York.