William Alexander (1767–1816) was born in Maidstone, Kent, the son of Harry Alexander, a coachmaker. After an early education at Maidstone Grammar School, in 1782 he moved to London, where he studied art under William Pars and Julius Caesar Ibbetson. In 1784 he was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools, where he assiduously applied himself to the mastery of his profession.
Likely at the recommendation of Ibbetson, William Alexander was appointed as one of two illustrators to the Macartney Embassy to China in 1792. On his return he worked up many of his Chinese sketches into finished watercolours, and exhibited the results at the Royal Academy. His drawings were reproduced as plates in Sir George Leonard Staunton's 'Authentic Account of Lord Macartney's Embassy' in 1797. He also produced 'Views of Headlands, Islands, etc. taken during the Voyage to China' (1798), plates for Sir John Barrow's 'Travels in China' (1804), and 'Voyage to Cochin China' (1806). In 1805 Alexander published a series of hand-coloured engravings depicting the Chinese Court as well as scenes of everyday life in China, titled 'The costume of China, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings', a work that was so well-received that in 1814 he published another book titled 'Picturesque Representations of the Dress and Manners of the Chinese, illustrated in fifty colored engravings, with descriptions'.
During the same period, Alexander attended Dr Monro's 'academy' where he had the opportunity to work alongside such leading contemporaries as Thomas Girtin. He was also an active member of Girtin’s Sketching Club, ‘The Brothers’.
In 1802, Alexander was appointed professor of drawing at the Royal Military Academy in Great Marlow, resigning in May 1808 to take up the post of first keeper of prints and drawings, and assistant librarian, at the British Museum.
He died at the house of his uncle in Maidstone in July 1816, and was buried in Boxley churchyard.
William Alexander's work can be found in numerous public collections, including the British Library, Tate and the V&A.
