Though not nearly as famous or influential as the painters of the Italian Renaissance, early English painters had their own styles and traditions. Because portraits were the easiest and most profitable way for a talented artist to make a living, most of the early English painters started out as portraitists.
By the 17th century artists like Isaac Oliver and Nicholas Hilliard were painting full-sized portraits. At the same time, talented English artists began to specialise in landscape painting. Although it was not nearly as profitable as portraits, it soon became a respected specialty.
By the 18th century, English painting was focused almost entirely on landscapes and portraits. While a few of the more audacious artists like Sir James Thornhill did experiment with Baroque styles, they did not have much success with art book publishers or collectors.
The top artists of the day were of course the portraitists. Inspired by English artist Van Dyck, painters like Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, and Joseph Wright became famous in their time. George Stubbs also caught the public's interest for his animal paintings.
The 19th century brought more experimentation with the Norwich school of artists. Inspired by Dutch landscape art, the Norwich School became the first art-movement outside of the London art scene. Paul Sandby was arguably the century's most famous painter for his watercolours. Richard Wilson, Thomas Girtin, and John Linnell also achieved fame for their landscape paintings.