We believe that art has the power to transform lives and foster understanding across cultures. The brilliant stories of art belong to everyone, regardless of their origin. Contributing colleges, universities, museums, and research centers, Smarthistory is the world's most visited art history resource. To learn.Today, the history of watercolor painting is commonly associated with the achievements of the English school of landscape painters. This group was involved from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, what is known as the Golden Age of watercolor painting. Originally, artists prohibited their portraits from tinting washes.