William Percy French

William Percy French (1854-1920) was an Irish songwriter, author and painter. While studying to become a civil engineer at Trinity College Dublin he won five prizes for his watercolours and became a member of the Dublin Sketching Club in 1876.

For a time Percy French lived and worked in Cavan, painting extensively and establishing his own sketching club. It was during this period that he considered painting his true vocation, and his landscapes from this time became well sought after. French exhibited in the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), and frequently held solo shows at the Oriel Gallery in Dublin.