His father, Henry, owned an art gallery and picture framing business, which also supplied painted banners for rallies and meetings.

[2] He later moved to London to complete his education, studying at Leigh's School in Newman Street and at the Royal Academy in Somerset House.

[1] Unable to return to Switzerland, he looked for mountain scenery nearer home,[1] and in 1851 made his first visit to Betws-y-Coed, a village in the Conwy Valley in North Wales which had already become a favourite destination for artists.

Whaite displayed a vibrant style in his watercolours, and was noted for his ability to capture changing weather conditions in his landscapes, which often evoked a religious wonder.

Discussing his Barley Harvest, the critic wrote:Very exquisite in nearly every respect; perhaps, take it all in all the most covetable bit of landscape this year, and showing good promise, it seems to me, if the painter does not overwork himself needlessly.

[8] When all of Whaite's submissions to the Academy's exhibition of 1865 were rejected, he took them to Ruskin, who provided detailed criticism, illustrating his remarks on their shortcomings with reference to sketches and drawings by J. M. W.