Richard Simkin: A Watercolor Pioneer of Military Portraiture Richard Simkin (1850-1926) stands as a remarkable figure in Victorian and Edwardian art history, primarily recognized for his prolific watercolor depictions of British military uniforms and campaigns. Born in Herne Bay, Kent, to a commercial traveller, he possessed an early fascination with sketching and illustration, nurtured by a family that valued artistic pursuits. His formative years were spent at Aldershot, Hampshire – a location inextricably linked to the burgeoning British Army and Simkin’s own involvement as a volunteer ri…