The Norwich School John Old Crome John Sell Cotman George Vincent

Home , Alfred Stannard, George Vincent (painter), Henry Bright (painter), James Stark (painter), John Crome, John Sell Cotman

T H E NO RW I CH SCH OOL JOH N “ OLD ” CROME JOH N SELL c o TMAN ( ) , G E OR G E ‘D I N C E N T JA ME A , S S T RK 1 B N Y C OM JOHN I T . E E E R R , TH R LE D BROOKE D A ’DI D H OD N R. LA , GSO ? J J 0 M. E . . 0TM 89 . g/{N

E TC .

WITH ARTI LES BY M UND ALL C H . . C P S A , . . .

CONT ENTS U A P S A R I LES BY H M C ND LL . . A T C . . ,

Introduction John Crome John Sell Cotman O ther Members of the Norwich School

I LLUSTRATIONS I N COLOURS l Cotman , John Sel Greta rid Yorkshire t - B ge, (wa er colour) Michel Mo nt St. Ruined Castle near a Stream B oats o n Cromer Beach (oil painting)

Crome , John The Return ofthe Flock— Evening (oil painting) The Gate A athin Scene View on the Wensum at Thor e Norivtch B g p , (oil painting) Road with Pollards

ILLUSTRAT IONS IN MONOTONE

Cotman , John Joseph towards Norwich (water—colour) lx x vu

Cotman , John Sell rid e Valle and Mountain B g , y, Llang ollen rid e at Sa/tram D evo nshire B g , D urham Castle and Cathedral Windmill in Lincolnshire D ieppe Po wis Cast/e ‘ he alai d an e t Lo T P s e Justic d the Ru S . e , Ro uen

Statue o Charles I Chart/2 Cross f , g Cader I dris Eto n Colleg e Study B oys Fishing H o use m th e Place de la Pucelle at Rouen

Chdteau at Fo ntame—le— en i near aen H r , C Mil/hank o n the Thames ILLUSTRATIONS IN MONOTONE— Continued PLATE M Cotman , iles Edmund Boats on the Medway (oil painting) lxxv Tro wse Mills lxxvi

Crome , John Landscape View on th e Wensum

ath near o w ch Mousehold He , N r i Moonlight on the Yare Lands cape : Grov' e Scene The Grove Scene Marlin o rd , gf The Villag e Glade Bach o the Ne w Mills Norwich f , Cottage near L ahenham Mill near Lahenham On th e Shirts of the Forest ive orwich Bach R r, N

ru es Ri'ver Ostend in the D istance B g , ; Moo nlight Yarmouth H arho ur

ddes I tal e s Parts 1 oulevar i n 1 8 . B , , 4 Yarmouth Jett y . ’ Blach smzth s Sh o near Hin hatn No blh p , g , rf d Landsca e at o /ne Wo o y p C y . Fishmarhet on the Beach at B o ulog ne Th atched Building s (water- colour) Lane Scene near M rwich Landscape near Lahenhanz Mei /ting s on the Wensum Landscape with Fig ures Wattingfor the Ferry WaadlandScene D unham No olh , rf Pencil Study

Crome , John Berney iewnear Bu Ed und V ry St. m s (oil pain ting) River Scene hy Mo onlight

D R t ixon , ober The Farmyard (water- colour) lxxiv D Hodgson , avid Old Fish Marhet Nor ich , w (oil painting) ILLUSTRATIONS m MON OTONE— Continued PLATE

Ladbrooke , John Berney Landscape (oil painting) lxiv The Sluice Gate lxv R Ladbrooke , obert ach Scene Mundesle Be , y d Loun , Thomas - Ely Cathedral . (water colour) lxxvii i ' t enet s Ahhe S . B y (oil painting) lxxix N inham , Henry ish ate Str et Nor ich F g e , w

A. O R . pie , John , John Crome

P riest , Alfred ' odsto rid e Ox ord G w B g , f

Stannard , Alfred Yarnzouth Jetty

Stannard , Joseph Fishing B oats

Stark , James Whitlzn hanz rom Old Thor e rove g , f p G Thorpe Wo od Sheep Washing Landscape with Cattle The Forest Gate

Th irtle , John Whitlingham Reach (water- colour) Cro mer loo hin East , g ’ ' Vte wunder ish o s rid e Nor tbtch B p B g , Ma nus s Church London rid e and St. g , B g , neighhouring B uilding s lxxii i

t Vincen , George ' Whit/mgham loohing to tbards Norwich (oil painting) lviii ‘ Tro s Meado lbs near Nor ich w e , w lix Cottage and Well lx THE EDITOR D ESIRES TO EXPRESS H I S

. N H N K . E T A S TO MR RUSS LL J COLMA , - G UR . H . E . MR . H . N DAR LL BROW , MR J NEY NE G E G E N , COLO L SI R OR LI D SAY

K . . H . L OLFORD , MR . R W L OYD , E E . . . . HN H . C N MR JO M FADD , MR A P OPP ,

E . . H H MRS LOUI S RAP A L , M R ART UR

H E S E M. P. N . . . MIC A L AMU L , , A D MR F W SMITH WH O HAVE KI N DLY ALLOWED WORKS OF T HE NORWICH S CH OOL I N TH EIR POSSESSION TO BE REPRODUCED HE E K H EREI N . ALSO WISH S TO AC NOW LED G E HIS I ND EBTED N ESS TO M ESSRS .

THOS G N W N N E. G . N A E . . A D SO S , MR CU K E E . N N DALL , MR FRA L Y , CURATOR THE E E N H OF CASTL MUS UM , ORWIC , AND THE AUTH ORITI ES OF THE BRITI SH AND OF T HE VICTORIA AN D ALB ERT MUSEUMS FOR T HE VALUABLE AS SI ST ANCE TH EY HAVE REND ERED I N T HE E E PR PARATION OF TH I S VOLUM . INT ROD UCT ION

H IS illustrious citizen was born in a tavern in the parish of St . S C le at To m blan d an d t . o e . George , was buried in George g H e " ’ N S o fArt ists was the founder of the orwich chool , and h is

works , for which during h is lifetime he seldom received more t han a few pounds , are eagerly sought for by collectors , and in February 1 9 1 3 his oil painting known as The Willows was sold in New York for L ’ . ave n ro eleven thousand pounds Borrow , in g , speaks of Crome as ‘ m an an d t -bo o ts wh o se The little dark with the brown coat the o p , name to w n an d will one day be considered the chief ornament of the old , wh ose works will at no distant period rank among the proudest pictures of En g land — and England against th e world Th us wrote the Lord Mayor N o fits of orwich in convening a meeting citizens and others , held at the M c e n te n Castle useum , to consider a ﬁtting celebration next year ofthe

o f o h n O 2 2 1 82 1 . ary J , or ld Crome , wh o died on April , The Lord Mayor remarked at the meeting that th ere were still a great S many people who did not know much about the Norwich chool . Natu but t s rally lovers of art did , he feared the grea mas of people knew very little about the subject . This statement is undoubtedly true , and i t may be a ﬁtting opportunity for giving some account of the founder o f the

Norwich School and those assoc iated with him . The works of the two d o fth is — S principal lea ers school namely , John Crome and Joh n ell Cot — - all man are well known to connoisseurs , and numerous biograph ical notices and reviews have appeared concerning these two painters ; those o b of the other men , however , attached to the movement have hardly t ain e d any recognition and are comparatively unknown . In former days Norwich to a great extent owed its prosperity to its trade Y with Holland . Great armouth was the principal port , and th rough i t many paintings by Dutch masters found their way into the homes of s prosperous merchants of the city . These picture may h ave i nfused into f be the minds o the young men the idea of becoming painters , for at the ginning of the nineteenth century there were numerous striving young artists who chiefly gained their livelihood by teaching drawing . T o Norwich is due the honour of being the first city to establish an art ‘ ’ Th e school in England . word sch ool is here used not in the ordinary scholastic term , but to denote a body of persons who are disc iples of the same master , or wh o are united by a general si milari ty of principles and meth o ds ; it also means those whose training was obtained in the same locality , and implies more or less community of doctrine and styles . In th e n addition to fou ding of a school , Norwich may be accredited wit h r having formed the first art club in the provinces . The No wich Society “ was founded by John Crome in 1 80 3 fo r the purpose of am Enqui ry into 1 I NTROD UCTION

R P , S the ise , rogress andpresent State ofPainting , Arch itecture and culp B M S ture , with a view to point out the est ethods of tudy to attain the ” Greater Perfection in these Arts . Its first meetings were held at a tavern S t W . called The Hole in the all , in the parish of Andrew , where t papers were read , followed by discussions , on subjects included in hei r Tw o l S Sir inexhaustive programme . years ater the ociety removed to W ’ Benjamin rench s Court , an old house wh ich in the previous century had been the abode of a physician of th at name . Here the Society may be said to have developed into an art club , for its members were allowed f to have the use o the rooms as a studio , provided that t hey paid a fee for candles and firing if required ; and bread - and- ch eese suppers were par H 1 0 taken o fon evenings when meetings were eld . In the year 8 5 it was decided that the Society should hold its first exh ibition in its own rooms . It was opened “ as an encouragement and st imulus to Art and an educator t of the public . It met with such success hat the exh ibi tion was held ” an n u all u n de r th So c ie t o fArtists at Sir y, e name of the Norwich y , Ben ’ W 1 82 th e j amin rench s Court until the year 5 , when building was de i E e x h ibi m o l sh e d in order to make way for a new Corn xch ange . The “ tions were revived three years later under the title of Th e Norfolk and ” ff fo r Su olk Institution the Promotion of the Fine Arts , and were con “ ’ tin u e d for five years in a gallery called the Ar tists Room specially in St th e built for the purpose Exchange reet , not far from old premises . o f t e S The success h Norwich ociety was entirely due to two men , John n S f Crome and Joh ell Cotman . The former , who lived all h is li e in honh omie Norwich , with h is attracted many friends and pupils . He was undoubtedly the leading spirit of th e movement until h is death in 1 82 1

After that date his mantle fell on Cotman , who continued to keep th e Society together until he ﬁnally left Norwich for London to take up the ’ - S position of drawing master at King s College School . The ociety , having lost its leader , ceased to exist. Much has been written with regard to the relationship between Crome “ and Cotman . One writer asserts a whole world lies between them another states they h ad little in common and socially “ they were in dif fe re n t ff worlds , and lays emphasis on the di erence between their ages . L o fa e As the latter went to ondon to study art when about sixteen years g , it is probable that there was little intercourse between them up to that time . Cotman , however , when he returned to reside in Norwich was a o ft - o ld wh ilst - grown man enty four years , Crome was only thirty seven , no great disparagement in age , especially as the younger man had had experience of life in London and had already exhibited two pictures at the R . f oyal Academy At this time they doubtless became riends , although t ff of en irely di erent characters , the one of a jovial disposit ion , fond of h is 2 I NTRO D UCTION h isbo n tave rn in e ve n in s w h ilst glass and pipe with o companions at a the g , the other was excitable and subject to periods of hilarity alternated fde re ssio n Co tm an o in S 1 80 an d o . e d N with ﬁts p j the orwich ociety in 7 , - P three years later he was elected Vice resident , wh ilst Crome held the

P . M . post of resident oreover , Cotman made a portrait study of Crome

Mr. R oget , writing with respect to this period , states Cotman cannot ’ properly be called a pupil of Crome s , though in some ph ases of his art there is too much in common with that of the older painter to leave room f h for doubt as to the influence o t at admi rable artist . I t appears that he m ust have exercised such inﬂuence more as a companion than as a ’ te ac h e rf

W advan ith regard to their social positions , Cotman may have had the o fbirth bu t s tage and education ; in spite of the drawbacks in this re pect , ’ e n tle m e n an d Crome was certainly one of Nature s g , won the admiration Mr a R Al of all with whom he came in contact . . J mes eeve writes though Crome had not the early advantages in education , etc . , th at Cot fl man had , great credit is due to h im for the way he educated and improved w as h imself, and in matu re life the society in wh ich h e moved in some ar cases quite equal to that of Cotman . Their feeling for t was altogether ff di erent , bu t they must h ave had much in common and were good friends . Crome was more homely in h is habits but fitted to mix with gentlemen , otherwise the Gurney family would not h ave made a com ” f panion of h im for art alone . Crome was content to paint chie ly from Mo u se h o ld nature , grove scenes with oaks , and views on Heath being h is favouri te subjects . He varied h is style bu t little during h is life . H is oule vard des I taliens Paris P Fishmarhet on scenes on the B , ( late X I X) and the each at o ulo ne P B B g ( late X X IV) , in both of wh ich are groups of - u t people , may be taken as exceptions , as he rarely p more than th ree or four figures into his landscapes . Cotman , on the other h and , possibly

t . owing to his wan of success , varied h is style considerably He always in h ad a tendency towards arch itectural subjects , probably due to h is

Mr. D . timate relations wi th awson Turner , the antiquarian These he — W pain ted in water colours and etched in large numbers . h ilst living at Y armouth he devoted himself to seascapes , and from time to time he - ff took up oil painting . In spite of the di erence between the two painters t in the mode of reating their subjects , it is possible to trace th e inﬂuence Mr R t of the elder as a companion , as . oge states , in some of the land scapes of the younger man . tw o I n addition to these masters , the following were the principal artists S S V wh o comprised the Norwich chool James tark and George incent ,

both pupils of Crome , who founded their art on the principles of thei r

master and their study of the D u tch landscape painters . The former 3 I NTRODUCTION

th e t artist , in treatment and execution of his subjec s , cannot be com pared with Crome but in spite of th is there is a pleasing quietness in h is art landscapes , wh ich at the present time are receiving the attention of collectors . Vincent had far h igher powers and produced a large picture , reenwich H os ital Lo entitled G p , wh ich , when exhibited at the ndon Inter E 1 86 2 national xhibition , , obtained for h im a recognition of being a great landscape painter ; unfortunately Vincent fell into difﬁculties and

o f . B t was lost sight by the art world John erney Crome , the eldes son of ” “ O o f ld Crome , became a successful painter under the guidance h is

ff . father . He frequently introduced moonligh t e ects into his paintings t Robert Ladbrooke was associated wi h Crome from h is boyh ood , and both marrying sisters increased the bond between them ; there was , how

an . O L ever , episode wh ich parted them wing to a quarrel adbrooke and his followers seceded from the Norwich Society of Artists in 1 81 6 and “ S started another exhibition , styled The N orfolk and Norwich ociety o f Artists it only lasted for two years and most of h is followers re turned to the original Society but the breach was never completely ’ fo rit t L healed , was only after Crome s death tha adbrooke again sent con bu io n s S tri t . to the parent ociety H is two sons , Henry and John Berney , t “ Old became painters . They were pupils of heir uncle , Crome , and M produced landscapes somewhat in imitation of their master . iles ’ Edmund and John Joseph Cotman both followed in their father s foot ‘ h n Th ir le . o t steps , but neither in any way approached h im J (a minia ’ th e t turist as well as a landscape painter) , by marrying sis er of Cotman s t wife , became closely associa ed with him and was doubtless inﬂuenced D by him . avid Hodgson , a son of Charles Hodgson , an arch itect ural painter , chieﬂy produced views of picturesque houses and street scenes . Robert D ixon was a water- colour ar tis t as well as a scene— painter ; he - L also executed some soft ground etchings . Thomas ound was an ac

- complished amateur who painted landscapes in oil and water colours . t — t Nearly all hese art ists followed the profession of a drawing mas er , and to a considerable extent gained a living thereby . The polite arts of the young ladies of genteel families , after leaving school , were fancy needle ﬂo we rs work , making wax , and receiving drawing lessons from masters who visi ted their homes for the purpose . It was fortunate for these men r that the modern athletic girl was totally unknown , othe wise their

' o f n o t i n means livelihood , if it had been for teaching schools , would

have been very precarious . In the ﬁrst part of the nineteenth century etching was practised to a a t D t gre t extent in Norwich , not only by artis s , but also by amateurs . u ch E etch ings , like paintings , were conveyed from Holland to the astern h e Counties , and these may possibly h ave given t inspiration for their

4. INTRO D UCTION d n . t production . Crome o ly etched for his own gratiﬁcation H e execu e 1 80 1 8 1 his etchings ch ieﬂy between the years 9 and 3 , but none of them were published until after his death . Cotman produced a large number ,

- mainly arch itectural , and those on soft ground were admirably executed . W - ith regard to the h ard ground etchings , according to h is own state P r R D ment , he was a follower of iranesi . Hen y N inham , obert ixon , S George Vincent , Joseph tannard , and other artists worked with the - Re v. . . D etch ing needle , but the most successful was the E T aniell , who may be described as one of the foremos t of the English painter R M e tchers . I n the eeve Collect ion at the British useum are other etch

T . Mr D . R . ings by s. awson urner and her daughters and E and Girling I n the year 1 862 a considerable 1m p e tu s was given to the N orwich Sch ool Mo usehold Heath when the now celebrated by Crome , originally sold for one guinea , was exh ibited at the I nternat ional Exh ibition , and acquired for the nation for four h undred times its original price . Th is was the th e S ﬁrst important painting of chool to be seen in a National Collection , for up to that time Crome had been only represented by two sm all oil paintings in the Sheepsh anks Gift at the South Kensington Museum . Henceforward the works of Crome and h is pupils found thei r wa to 0 London and their value greatly increased , especially i n the case the h . t e t master Considering amount of his time occupied in teach ing , heir a number must have been very limited , and it may s fely be said that the works attributed to Crome at the present time must be far in excess of those actually painted by h im . I t was not until a later date th at the d works of Cotman received the recognition they eserved , and at the present time it may be diﬂi c u lt to say which o f th e se two men stands in the higher position . n Attributions , wh ich h ave been recklessly applied to the painti gs of this

Sc h o o l h ave . particular , caused considerable controversy The little diver r si y of the scenery around Norwich and the Norfolk broads , and the simi larit y in the choice of subjects by the pupils and their master , may in some manner account for mistaken nomenclature . I n early life Crome studied W the works of ilson and Gainsborough , as drawings exhibited by h im at the early exh ibitions of the Norwich Society are described in th e cata “ lo g u e s as being after Wilson and in the style of Gainsborough but he was evidently more inﬂuenced by the D utch mas ters . The two Mo usehold Heath l paintings , both named , one in the National Ga lery and M - ff the other in the Victoria and Albert useum , h ave a Cuyp like e ect h is few moonligh t scenes may be compared with the work of Van der

Neer but it was Hobbema who mainly attracted Crome . Alth ough to a certai n extent under the inﬂuence of these men , Crome developed h is t own style , to which he adhered with little or no change throughou his 5 I NTRO D UCTIO N life . He painted trees , especially the oak , in a manner peculiar to h im

Porin land Cah , self, and a study of h is g in the National Gallery showing th e the careful manner in which not only the leaves , but also trunk of h . re the tree are painted , will best explain his methods It is somew at in le af c h ie ﬂ markable that h is pictures were only painted with the trees , y

. with autumnal t ints , and no winter scene was executed by him James Stark has perhaps suffered most by the attribution o f h is best p ictures to the O R Win hand of his master . ne which was exhibited at a oyal Academy ter Exhibition was described in the catalogue as being by Crome . The excellence of the work was pointed out by the art critics , and stated to O n e be quite unapproachable by any of h is pupils . the other h and , feebl paintings with little resemblance to the Norwich Sch ool have been W ’ S . assigned to tark orks of both George Vincent and Crome s son , John B two erney Crome , h ave been attributed to their master, and the pupils i t The have, been confused one with the other . An mportan painting , ’ Yarm outh Water Fro lic fo r , was sold at Christie s some years ago two thousand six hundred guineas as an Old Crome it was discovered A View o subsequently to be the work of his son . A ﬁne oil painting , f M S Yarm outh rom Gorleston d Mr. f , now owne by Arthur ichael amuel , B af M. P. , was sold as being by John erney Crome , but terwards found ” to be a painting by George Vincent , as it bears h is monogram G . V . on

- the stem of a boat at the right hand corner of the picture . Consider able doubt often exists with regard to the drawings of John Sell Cotman

two M . and his sons , iles Edmund and Joh n Joseph Th is may be ch iefly t t attributed to the fact that the la ter were taugh t by heir father , and they all worked together in making studies for their pupils to copy , even ’ a in Cotman s daughter , Ann , being c lled in to assist this work . These studies were usually signed by Cotman , with no intention of passing o ff them as his own work , but merely as an identification of their being his property . Consequently there are many drawings in existence f o . which , although bearing his signature , are not the work the master o f Neither the sons possessed the genius of their father , nor did they have his poetic feeling , consequently in h is important drawings , exe c u te d ffi in a free and masterly manner , there is little di culty in dis tin u ish in W — g g his hand . ith regard to his oil paintings , as he executed m ide n ti but very few , and these only spas odically , they are not so easily fie d , and some controversy has taken place respecting several of them . Norwich has always endeavoured to maintain its reputation as an art centre , and numerous art societies , under various titles , have been formed t 1 from time to ime . In 83 9 attempts were made to revive th e Norwich ’ o f St . Society Artists , and an exh ibition was held at Andrew s Broad S th e it treet , called Norfolk and Norwich Art Union , but appears to 6 INTRO D UCTION have met with little success , for there was no other exhibition until three ” e ars late r y , when , under the title of the East of England A rt U nion , D 1 8 8 one took place in the Exchange Street Rooms . uring the years 4 to 1 860 the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Promotion of the de x h ibitio n s and o fth e m d Fine Arts hel , the last was evoted to the works I n 1 86 8 N of deceased local artists . and following year the orwich , ” ’ R Fine Art Association held exh ibit ions in the Artists ooms , Exchange ’ S S t S treet , and . Andrew s Broad treet respectively . The present art ” 1 88 society , known as the Norwich Art Circle , was first started in 5 , and held annual exh ibit ions in its rooms at the O ld Bank of England ‘ Chambers in Q ueen Street until about the close of the last century . S Th is ociety does not lay claim to being purely local , as the member sh ip 15 not restricted to residents 1n the city or county ; but 1t fosters the S s memory of the old painters of the Norwich ch ool , and succe sful loan i Th irtle S exh ibitions of the pa ntings and drawings of John , James tark , D an ie ll an in liam S Re v. . . d N John ell Cotman , the E T , Henry were held 8 88 1 8 1 1 0 1 8 6 1 8 6 . e in the years to , 9 , and 9 The illustrated catalogu s , with memoirs of these respective painters , are most valuable records of m e m o rial h we e r . o v their works The lasting , , to John Crome and h is fol M lowers is in the Norwich Castle useum , wh ere a val uable collection of 1 8 6 their paintings is permanently placed . In 7 a few ardent admirers of these men formed themselves into the East Anglian Art Society for the purpose of acquiring works of the Norwich School and of local asm all painters of the present time . They were successful in securing col ‘ o f ic tu res— Uiew o n the Wensunz b o h n P lection p yJ Crome ( late I I I) , being one o fth e m — which was handed over to the Corporation on the comple t ion of the Castle Museum in 1 894 . Th is collection has since received an d Mr. . . importan t addition by the splendi bequest of the late J J . Colman T h e most important record of the Norwich School is to be found in the

M . 1 0 2 d British useum In 9 a collection of drawings , etchings , and ocu Mr R ments relating to it were acquired from . James eeve , the well a known authority on the subject . For many years he made a speci l study an d of the painters their works , and his collection forms a most valuable h istory of a school wh ich sprang into existence at Norwich at the com m e n e m e n To th is c t of the nineteenth century and lasted for th irty years . record the wri ter is indebted for much of the informati on which is give n W M R . r. . . E in the following articles ; and to Charles J atson , , another n authority on the Norwich School , he tenders his best tha ks for the t valuable assis ance he has so kindly rendered . JOHN CROME

T is remarkable that three o f the most prominent British landscape s a painters were all natives of East An gli . Gainsborough was born at S ff E B Sudbury in u olk ; Constable at ast ergholt , only a few miles T t o awa and Crome at Norwich . here is no romantic scenery be found in the Eastern Counties to i nspire an artist as there is in other districts of the British Isles ; yet the quiet pastures in the valley o f the S th e D - f attrac tour , and utch like views on the Nor olk Broads have their “ Old” tions for all lovers of nature . I t is also remarkable th at Crome , t o f a bego obscure parents and receiving but little or no educ tion , should S have developed a chool of Painting in a city where art , beyond the por traits of local worthies , h ad hitherto been almost unknown . John Crome ' o n D e c e m be r 2 2 1 6 8 — K was born , 7 , at a small ale house named The ing M ” and the iller , situated in a district of Norwich known as th e Castle

- D . itches H is father was a journeyman weaver , but whether he kept the

in n . , or was only a lodger , is not certain In those days boys and girls seeking work used to assemble on an open space where the D ucal Palace

f . ormerly stood , on the chance of ﬁnding an engagement Th is was called ” P Y u th e going on the alace . o ng Crome followed example and was D r R fortunate in obtaining employment under . igby , a physician , wh o took h im into his service as an errand boy . He remained with the worthy doctor for two years , and if the tales Crome was wont to narrate in later life are true , h e played many a prank during h is service , such as ch anging the labels attached to the medicine bottles— labels at th at date were easily n o t t removed they were gummed on the bottle , but were s rips of folded t paper tied on with string , as frequently depic ed in their sketches by R owlandson and other caricaturists . ‘ f A ter leaving the doctor , Crome became apprenticed for seven years to W B S t . Francis h istler , a coach , house , and sign painter , of ethel tree

Here he learnt the rudiments of painting by grinding and mixing colours .

He is credited with h aving painted numerous signboards for inns , and “ ” Mr. W D . F . ickes in The Norwich School of Painting gives illustra “ S ” tions of either side of The Top awyer , wh ich h ung across Church S T treet in front of the inn . h is training doubtless gave him the breadth c W of tou h seen even in his early works . hilst in the employ of the R L coach painter , Crome ﬁrst became acquainted with obert adbrooke , a youth about a year younger than h imself. They b oth determ ined to

. Mr D be painters and became boon companions According to . awson

Turner , they h ired a garret which they converted into a studio , and owing to their poverty they had to struggle with continual diﬂi c u ltie s to obtain materials for their work it is said that Crome would often wander th e c o u n tr with h isc o lo u rs ie c e o f to m ak e into y and a p millboard sketches . 8 j o rm C ROME Apparently the two artists were able to sell some of their sketches t o lle r M . a ars rin tse s . essrs Smith and J gg , p at Norwich Crome soon had t th e rin tse lle rs to the good fortune , probably h rough p , come under the

Mr. notice of Thomas Harvey of Catton , a prosperous citizen of Nor wich . Besides being a collector of works of art , he was also an amateur artist . He invited Crome to his studio and gave him lessons in painting .

He also allowed Crome to copy the pictures in his collection , amongst them the celebrated Cottag e D oor by Gainsborough and probably some W ’ works by ilson , as in the exhibition of Crome s works held by the N S 1 82 1 orwich ociety of Artists after h is death in , were two composi tions in the style of Rich ard Wilson painted in 17 96 and 179 8 re s e c tive l D p y. At Catton there were also numerous pictures by utch and e ve n t u all Flemish painters , including a landscape by Hobbema wh ic h

Mr. D an d l h 1s passed into the hands of awson Turner , was il ustrated in O ” utlines in Lith ography from a small Collection of Pictures , privately printed at Yarmouth in 1 84 0 . m Mr. t Sir Through Thomas Harvey , Crome beca e acquain ed with W A. D Be e c h e R . illiam y, , who , according to Edward ayes the topo graphical painter , also began life as a house and sign painter , and Joh n “ n o f Chambers , in h is Ge eral H istory of the County Norfolk , pub lish e d 1 82 Be e c h e in 9 , says a signboard by y was still hanging in front of avillage inn ; an o t her account states he was articled to an atto rn e yin Lon don , but obtained his release and gained admission to the schools of the R Be e c h e oy al Academy . Anyhow , it is certain that y went to reside at

1 81 M . Norwich in 7 , and married iss Jessop , a miniature painter Five t years la er he returned to London , where he gained notoriety and royal ’ S c patronage . ubsequently he paid oc asional visits to his wife s birthplace , it o fth e se m t Be e c h e and must have been during one that he e Crome , as y wrote Crome , when I ﬁrst knew h im , must have been about twenty years old , and was an awkward , u ninformed country lad , but extremely shrewd in all h is remarks upon art , th ough he wanted words and terms to express h is meaning . As often as he came to town he never failed to call upon me and to get wha t information I was able to give h im upon o fth at the subject particular branch of art wh ich h e had made h is study .

H is visits were very frequent , and all h is time was spent in my painting room when I was not particularly engaged . He improved so rapidly th at he delighted and as tonished me . He always dined and spent h is evenings ” with me . From th is statement it is evident Crome made sre q u e n t excursions to B h t . e e c e London , but at what da es i t is not speciﬁed As y mentions that Crome sough t h is advice as to the bgst methods to pursue with regard to t t painting , it is probable ha his early visits were made when he was a 9 JO H N C ROM E young man , not sure of his powers . Be th at as it may , the lure of the fo r t metropolis had no hold on h im , he always re urned to h is native city and its surrounding scenery . - to A. O R . John pie , , was another well known painter whom Crome Be e c h e . O owed some of his artistic education pie went to Norwich , as y f f M did , to paint portraits . He , too , ound a wi e there , as he married iss

o f a . Alderson , the daughter physician of the city In a letter written by M ac Mrs O Mr. . pie to Dawson Turner , she said y husband was not u ain te d 1 8 q with our friend , John Crome , before the year 79 , when we f ﬁrst visited Norwich a ter our marriage . Crome used frequently to come to my husband in Norwich and I have frequently seen him and Crome - f T . and our dear riend , homas Harvey , in the painting room of the latter t I have also seen my h usband painting for Crome tha is , the latter look ing on , while the former painted a landscape or ﬁgures . And , occasion ’ t ally , I h ave seen him at work on Crome s own canvas , while the lat er amused us with droll stories and humorous conversations and observations . assistance But this is , to the best of my belief, the extent of he derived from my husband . ’

O t P . pie painted Crome s por rait ( late I) It was given by Joseph , one of ’ M r. Crome s sons , to John Norgate of Norwich subsequently i t passed f r MP o M . . . into the possession J J Colman , and was bequeathed by M h im to the Castle useum . There is another portrait of Crome in the

W . D r. t Guildhall , painted by oodhouse I t was presen ed by Joseph

Crome . M ’ uch has been said with regard to Crome s poverty , but there is no to direct evidence that he was ever in actual want . He worked hard ob fo r tain a livelihood , and was not above cont inuing to paint signboards inns even when thirty— five years of age for there exists a receipted bill for f o 2 s. 0d. Ma 2 1 80 the sum £ 4 , signed and dated John Crome , y 7 , 3 , for ’ pain tin g a Lame Dog and writing and gilding name on ye Maid s ’ Eead . 1 f 2 . P oe In 79 Crome was in a position to marry H is wi e was h be Berney , or ” Ph e b B y earney , as she signed her name in the register . The wedding ’ St M . C o slan O n d T took place at ary s y on ctober 2 of that year . here were fo r t reasons th is early marriage , as heir first ch ild , Abigail , was born on 0111 the 3 of the same month . Crome soon had a young and increasing ff t family to maintain , which meant redoubling h is e orts to suppor it . o f T It is probable it was on the advice Mr. homas Harvey that Crome — became a drawing master , and possibly h is first pupils were the daughters o f Mr . o f E John Gurney arlham . The following entry in the diary of “ ” Ric h e n da Earlh am b Gurney is taken from The Gurneys of , yAugustus — J. . Jan . 1 1 8 1 C Hare , 7 , 79 had a good drawing th is morning , but in I O

j o HN CROME

A View o Carrow Ahhe the former was a large oil painting , f y, which was

f M B o rw 1ch . o D r. originally in the possession artineau of racondale , N ’ I t was again exhibited at the Loan Exhibition in Norwich after Crome s

1 8 1 t E 1 86 2 . death in 2 , and at the In ernational xh ibition of It is impor ’ f - tant on account o its being one of Crome s earliest known oil paintings , .

and showing his style at that period . The remains of the ancient abbey

rise up darkly against a luminous evening sky , with a pool and two ﬁgures

in the foreground the whole treatment is subdued and severe . The pic

th e Mr. R . P ture is now in possession of ussell J Colman , at Crown oint ,

Norwich . Amongst other painters who sent works to th is first exh ibition of Th e S t R D s R Norwich ocie y were obert ixon , Charles Hodg on , obert Lad h le t brooke and John T irt . The remaining con ributors were chiefly ama S P te u rs . and pupils The ociety was evidently democratic , for the resident , th e according to its rules , changed every year . Crome was doubtless lead ing spirit ; he appears to have held the office on numerous occasions and was President at the time of his death . He gave strong support to the S f ociety during his life , and sent more than two hundred and fi ty works to W Mr. o dde rs o o n the Exhibitions . A list of them , compiled by John p , was given in “ The Norwich Mercury in 1 85 8 and afterwards reprinted for private circulation . I t is a valuable record , and by means of i t , even ’ though the titles have been changed , many of Crome s paintings have ide n ti been traced , and the years in wh ich they were produced have been fie d but some of h is best productions were never shown at these e xh i bitions . 1 81 f o r In the year 4 , after the down all of Buonaparte , many hundreds Englishmen flocked to Paris especially to see the art treasures in the

Louvre , the spoils wh ich Napoleon had seized during his victorious cam i n a s. O p g Crome took the pportunity of seeing these masterpieces , and in

u two . the aut mn set out on his journey accompanied by friends , J Free man and D avid Coppin . They crossed the Channel and set foot on the

Continent . A description of h is journey onwards and h is arrival at the c 1t l S 1ve n t gay y g in a letter written t o his wife . It was prin ed in The E ” . 1 1 88 astern Daily Express January 3 , 5 , and reads as follows h PA R1s Octo er ro th 1 81 . , , 4 MY D EAR WI FE— After one of the most pleasant journeys of one hundred and seventy miles over one o f the most fertile c o u n tre ys I ever Yo u saw we arrived in the capital of France . may imagine how every th ing struck u s with surprise ; people of all nations going to and fro

. t Turks , Jews , etc I shall not enter into ye particulars in this my let er , f o — t but su ﬁce it to say we are all in good health , and in go d lodgings hat in 1 2 JO H N C ROME We an d Ve rsail Paris is the one great diffi culty . have been at St . Cloud e s We I cannot describe it on letter . h ave seen th ree palaces the most mag i e n o t n ﬁc nt in world . I shall trouble you with a long letter this time as

the post goes out in an hour that time will not allow me was I so disposed .

This morning I am going to see the object of my journey , that is the

i l t . Th u l e rie s. I am told here I shall ﬁnd many English artis s Glover has

been painting . I believe he has not been copying , but looking , and paint P ing one of his own compositions . ray let me know how you are going

on , giving best respects to all friends . I believe the English may boast of

having the start of these foreigners , but a happier race of people there

. f cannot be . I shall make th is journey pay I shall be very care ul how I

lay out my money . I have seen some shops . They ask treble what they

. D will take , so you may suppose what a set they are I shall see avid to

ar . be morrow , and the rest of the tists when I can ﬁnd time I write th is fore I know what I am going about at ye Th u ille rie s as the post compels

- OH N OME . I . me . am , etc , yours till death , J CR

a sk e tc h The crowds of the gay city evidently attracted Crome , as he made

of the Boulevard des Italiens with numerous ﬁgures . From i t he painted the picture (Plate XI X) wh ich he contributed to the Norwich Exhibition

in th e fo llo w in g year . He depicted the scene in brighter colours than was Fishntarhet o n the each at h is wont . The same remark applies to the B o ulo ne P re tu rn o u rne B g ( late XX IV) , sketched on his j y, bu t not produced 1 0 W t as a large painting until 82 . hilst on the Continen it is evident t O hat h e visi ted stend , as he made paintings from the neighbour h ood of the town . He stated in his letter to h is wife that he had a pleasant P journey of one hundred and seventy miles to aris , accordingly he may ff B e . ru s have landed at th is port Crome painted some evening e ects , and g River Oste nd in the D istance P , ( late XVI I) , shown at the Norwich Ex 1 Moonli h t n the a e h ibitio n 1 8 6 t . o Y r in , is a good representa ive work g

(Plate VI) was exhibited two years earlier . After this visit to Paris Crome does not appear to have made any other f important tour . He preferred his home li e , surrounded by h is family . a N c ff The natur l scenery of orfolk , for which he had so mu h a ection , ” mainly inspired h im . He painted , as he said , for air and space , and took no poetic licence with his subjects ; he simply represented Nature

as he saw her . He was content to exhibit his paintings at Norwich , and t 1 806 1 81 8 only contributed hirteen pictures , between the years and , to a the Royal Academy . An import nt contribution was made to Somerset ’ 180 8 Blach smith s Sho near Hin ha rn P House in , p , g ( late X XI I) . I t was r w as probably unsold and returned to No wich , for this painting lent to 1 82 1 the Loan Exhibition after h is death in , by h is son Frederick I 3 ]OHN C ROM E ' ’ B 1 8 Crome . In the catalogue of John erney Crome s sale in 3 4 is the ’ “ Mr h e B S . following entry : T lacksmith s hop by the late Crome , one ” of h is best pictures in the style of Gainsborough ; i t was sold fo r only T Wood L andsca e at Co/ne six pounds . his painting and the y p y (Plate

XXI I I) are now in America . In h is early works Crome was inﬂuenced , W Land as already stated , by ilson as well as by Gainsborough , and the scape (Plate II) may be quoted as an example . W - hilst visiting the country houses i n his profession as a drawing master , D Crome must have seen many utch paintings , including works by Hob T su bc o n bema and Ruysdael . hrough these he may be said to have been sc io u sly inﬂuenced and to h ave acquired a taste for collecting old masters l — for himse f, for he had almost a mania for attending sales at auction rooms and buying bargains . He accumulated books , prints and drawings , and even went as far on one occasion as to purchase a cartload of headstones . Th e family eventually remonstrated and persuaded h im to dispose of h is s collection . The following notice of the ale appeared in The Norfolk “ ’ R Y W Mr. o ve rre s Chronicle At N ooms , armouth , on ednesday , th e

2 rd S 1 81 2 . 3 eptember , , and two following days A capital assemblage of Prints and Books of Prints ; Etchings ; Finished D rawings and Sketches t t — Wo o lle tt S B R by the bes mas ers , trange , Fitler , art olozzi , embrandt , W Mr o fN o r aterloo , etc . They are the genuine sole property of . Crome — a D e wich great part of whose life has been spent in collecting them . f Y 6d. o scriptive catalogues , price each , of the booksellers armouth , ” ’

B . Norwich , Lynn , Ipswich , and ury As no auctioneer s name is men tio n e d , either in the advertisement or in the catalogue , it has been said f at that Crome acted as auctioneer himsel . How the sale came to be held Y Mr. D armouth is not clear . Allan Cunningham says that awson Tur ner , who lived there , suggested to Crome that he should have a sale of I n ' s ite h is works , but no picture by him appears in the catalogue . p of c o lle c tio n C ro m e the dispersal of this , continued to indulge in his hobby f and gradually acquired a resh one . The Grove Scene Ma r/in brd , gf (Plate VI I I) , wh ich was sold at the Joseph Beecham sale in 1 9 17 fo r ﬁve thousand three hundred guineas ; th e Mouseh old H eath I V M smaller (Plate ) , in the Victoria and Albert useum Mouseh old H eath and the celebrated in the National Gallery , are of the 1 81 same period , the two former being painted in 5 , and the last about 1 8 1 f 6 . In the oreground of all three pictures Crome has introduced care

- fully painted wild ﬂowers and weeds . He made still life studies of these M Stud a Burdoch plants , and in the Norwich Castle useum is the y of ,

Mr. beautifully executed and relieved by a dark background . Arth ur M S MP ichael amuel , has in his possession a somewhat si milar study The Water Vole entitled . The larger picture o f Mousehold H eath was in I 4 JO H N CROME

a . th e possession of Messrs . Freem an of Norwich for many ye rs Failing s to dispose of it , t hey h ad i t cut into two piece , with a view to being able

t bu t . l to sell them separa ely , without the desired result Eventua ly the Y two Mr. Y portions were sold to etts , an auctioneer at Great armouth , 11 who had the painting restored , and afterwards lent to the London Inter

n 1 86 2 1t . natio al Exhibition of , when was acquired for the nation Crome was su flic ie n tly prosperous to be enabled to keep two ponies in ’ order to drive or ride to his numerous pupils homes . He used to go as D itse lfa e ars far as Yarmouth to see his friend awson Turner . The sea pp to have h ad no attractions for h im , but he produced several beach scenes Yarmouth Harhour P and views of shipping of wh ich ( late XVI I I) , and a m h Y r out Jetty ( Plate X XI) are good examples . ’ “ As Mo useho ld Heath may be said to be Crome s largest painting for air ” The Porin land Oah and space , similarly g , also in the National Gallery , may be stated to be h is finest painting of a tree . Th ree of the four boys ’ bath ing in a pool in the foreground represent Crome s sons , and the fourth is h is nephew , John Berney Ladbrooke . The figures were worked ’ M S M upon by Crome s friend ich ael harp . The youngest son , ichael 1 8 1 Sharp Crome , was born i n 3 , and as he is sh own as a lad of about five f 1 1 m 8 8. years of age , it may be airly assu ed the pic t ure was executed in The Porin land Oah Another fine example and worthy to rank with g , t Wo od Landsca e at Colne Plate it al hough smaller in size , is y p y ( X X I II) ; was executed eigh t years earlier and was sent to the exhi bition of the S 8 10 N orwich ociety in 1 . - Crome painted in water colours , but none of h is drawings h ave any - importance in relation to h is oil paintings . They were mostly done in sl ight washes , and ch iefly executed as examples for his pupils . I n the Wood/and Scene D unhant No o /h P production of , , rf ( late XX X I) , Crome has carried h is work further and made a charm ing finished drawing . S Like most of the painters of the Norwich ch ool , Crome prod uced 1 some etchings . These were done between the years 1 809 and 8 1 3 . He n o t does appear to h ave been satisfied with them , for alth ough he pub lish e d 1 812 a prospectus in with a view to issuing them to the public , an d o fsu bsc ribe rs obtained a list , the matter was never carried any further by h im . He etched both on soft and on h ard ground , but his plates were 1 f - unevenly bitten . In 83 4 a series o thirty one of these etchings was ” brought out under the t itle of N orfolk Picturesque Scenery . Four “ ears later seventeen of them were re - issued and called Etch ings of yie ws of Norfolk by the late John Crome . The plates , however , had become worn and the be au tifu lMo useh o/d Heath was ruined by ruled lines T h e 1ssu e across the magnificent sky . is only valuable for the memoir i D of Crome wr tten by awson Turner . JO H N C ROM E The genial character of Crome endeared h im to every one with whom “ : he came in contact . Dawson Turner wrote I h ad the greatest regard o S : : for him when l iving . I enj yed his ociety I admired h is talents I valued the man and I highly appreciated the good sense which led h im f t to confine himsel exclusively to the representation of na ure , and to be ” satisfied with her as she offered herself to his eyes . I t has also been said of him as his sphere of operations enlarged his talents as an artist were acknowledged , and h is manners as a man universally gained h im friends . He was equally at home and equally welcome at the tables of t he rich and ” - high born as at those of a stat ion similar to his own . 1 8 1 h e . 2 Crome was not destined to live to an old age In April , , had deter mined to paint a large picture of a water frol ic —an East Anglian term — at W for a regatta , now almost disused roxham , but he was suddenly ’ n d taketi ill and died on the 2 2 of the month . To the very last Crome s thoughts were directed towards the art to which he was so devoted . I t is said that on the day of his death he begged h is eldest son never to forget “ “ the dignity of Art . John , my boy , he exclaimed , paint , but paint for — st . t fame , and if your subject is only a pig y dignify it Jus before passing “ o u t O I away he suddenly cried h Hobbema my dear H obbema , how ’ — — le ate St . ar Co I loved you He was buried in George s g , with a great ff “ demonstration of a ection and respect . According to The Norwich M Mr S Mr. t ercury . harp and Vincent came from own on purpose , Mr S and . tark was also present . An immense concourse of people bore grateful testimony to the esti mation in wh ich his character was generally held . t th e Crome had continued to collec pictures , prints and books up to last , ’ ’ a s and fter h is death a five days sale took place , in the Norwich Society ’ Sir B W t ac c u m u room at enjamin rench s Cour , of the vast store he had o f lated . None his own work was included in the sale . In November of the same year the Norwich Society of Artists held a loan exh ibition ’ M of Crome s pictures in their own rooms . ore than one h undred works o f were lent by their owners , and the catalogue the Exh ibition forms a ’ o f Old valuable record many of Crome s auth entic paintings , for few t of them , at that date , had gone further afield h an N orwich and the country seats in its neighbourhood . PLAT! I

(Fro m the po rtrait in the Castle Um n - V m {ch . o ma n . . o Be ues ) . BY O Plt HA . C l q t JOHN CROME JOHN .

PLAT ! I ll

- i w n w e we u u I L n unr V e o e u . O

n -n No r i c x ( I the Castle Alum w h) m e o r JOHN cao u e 11o l ao m e n s e s

PLATE VIII

s c e n e F 0 11. TH E ano v e . MARLING ORD m a m a BY JOHN c no u e ( s s h . as } m e e s )

PLAT ! IX

H ' . T E VILLAGE GLADS . OIL PA NT I NC BY JO HN CROME ( S O X AG INCHES)

( a e to m xto rt o / c o rn i c e ne w K T L . 1 l th A ENHAM 0 1. PAIN Artl mr u tch aeI Sa m uel . m e BY JOHN c no u e ( 1 3 x 1 1 INCHES )

( I n tAe m es Io n o/ - m u . n e w K I LA ENHAM . O L ram r Ar u r th m e 1111 so m e c ao u e ( 13 x 1 1 m c n e sl

T s c e n e — vue w o n u se we n st m ' A BA HING ( I n Me ﬁ mt essu m o l AT T H NI‘ g O E . OI L 8 . NORWICH PAINTING T -m 11. D a n te e a n b ) . y. JOHN o no u e ( 1 111 x 1 “ m e n u )

‘ f o rl u h s Ac tt m e n no nm o n . 011. u m? I m y t t e M ON v . e l m e av H c ao n e max 19 m e me s) c H . r Tem su m } l s . p e ) JO N

P LATE XV II

PLATE XXI

m m r m an u r u TT . 0 11. o ( I n ﬂu Cas tle v o u JE Y C m t v no u e ( 2 2 x 1 11 m e me s: o l a n I eq uestt a JOHN e 1

P LATE XXII I

. wo o o v AT o o m e v. O I L n m r ( I n th e ”n ew o n of LANDSCAPE t 2 2 m u e t H m e at so me c no u e ( 1111 c s Jo t m . x

PLATE X XXII

I n th e si csswu o f ( w m me s! PENCIL sr u o v av J OHN c no me ( 7 a! e Arth u r tttcttaet S a m ue l

JO HN S ELL COT MAN N the introduction to the catalogue of the Exhibition of the Society P W - 1 82 1 of ainters in ater Colours held at the Egyptian Hall in , the year previous to its removal to the premises in Pall Mall East which S have ever since been the permanent home of the ociety , it is stated P W — m a u stl that ainting in ater Colours yj y be regarded as a new art , and in its present application the invention of British artists ; considerations which ough t to have some influence on its public estimation and e n m e n W c o u rage t . ith in a few years the materials employed in this species of painting , and the manner of using them , have been equally improved by new chemical discoveries and successful innovations on the old o f rac tic e - tin te ddrawin s methods p The feeble g , formerly supposed to be ff o fth is i the utmost e orts art , have been succeeded by p ctures not inferior 1n in power to oil paintings , and equal delicacy of tint and purity and T airiness of tone . wenty years previously Girtin and Turner had laid aside the feeble- tinted drawings and sought to impart to their paint ings the luminosity and true colours of nature with perfect clearness and S d transparency and John ell Cotman had followe in their footsteps , bu t in a style peculiarly h is own of flat broad washes with little attempt at e lie fo r - - r shadow . Edmund Cotman was a well to do draper and silk mer c e r in C o c k e yLane— afterwards named Little London Street — Norwich ; Se ll Ma 16 1 82 th e h is eldest son , John , was born on y , 7 , and educated at Fo rste r w h o S D r. Grammar chool , in the Cathedral Close , when , became V - S the first ice President of the Norwich ociety of Artists , was head ’ I t h u l i master . was the father s intention that h is son s o dj o n him in h is business , but the boy had already shown signs of a desire to become a painter , and was accustomed to wander away into the country to mak e sketches of ruins and ch urches in the villages The city , with its fine architecture and the surrounding neighbourhood , always had a fascina Y i t tion for him . ears afterwards he spoke of as being not to be equalled in its quiet way by any city in the British Empire , and beloved by me . In the Reeve Collection at the British Museum is a small drawing in — Old Ho uses in Mill Lane Newmarhet Road india ink of , , At the “ w S . C . dra n back of it is written by J . J . Cotman J . , to wh ich R “ Mr. eeve h as added John considered this the earliest drawing of h is ’ ” — I M . r. S father s had i t from amuel , of Norwich I t is a remarkable R ’ drawin for a boy in h is th irteenth year . ecognizing h is son s disin c li g O nation or a commercial life the father sought the advice of J ohn pie , “ wh o replied , let him rather black boots than follow the profession of

M l Lane is n o w al e B run sw c o a an d h s rawin h as a s e al n e res fo r th e il c l d i k R d , t i d g p ci i t t 11 r e r as h is ran dfa e r was iv n in No rwich wh e n ro m e an d o tm an we re wo rk n it , g th l i g C C i g th e re and e in 1 8 at run sw c o a in his th ear. , di d 75 B i k R d 9 5 y JO H N SELL COTMAN w an artist . The boy was not to be deterred , ho ever , and i t was ﬁnally agreed that he should follow the profession of a painter . “ M o f T According to iss Turner , a daughter Dawson urner , Cotman , L 1 8 giving up the idea of becoming a draper , came to ondon in 79 bu t Nothing is known of h is early movements in the metropolis , he did m not waste his time , as al ost i mmediately after h is arrival he was awarded “ a lar e rsilve r S o fArts 1 80 fo ra draw in g palette by the ociety , in 9 , g wh ich W w M Po rte r th e had been submitted . In Thaddeus of arsa , by iss Jane , “ Zo bie sk i hero , a Polish noble named , reduced to want , ﬁnds his sole dependence must rest on his talents for painting . H is taste easily per c e ive d that there were many drawings exh ibited for sale much inferior ”

m o re . to those wh ich he had executed for amusement Accordingly , t rin tse lle r S he at empts to sell h is drawings to a p in Great Newport treet , E but they are declined . ventually the dealer agrees to accept six drawings a week for a guinea . I t has been suggested that the incident was based T upon W hat actually h appened to young Cotman . h is may h ave been M Sir R true , as iss Porter was sister to obert Ker Porter , and th rough her T brother probably became acquainted with Cotman . hat he did sell Th irtle h is drawings to print dealers is known , as Joh n , afterwards his - in - h abit w h e n o flo o k in brother law , was in the , coming to London , g into Ackerman ’s window to see if there were any new works by h is brother artist . It is certain , h owever , that Cotman was not with out means , as at S f ﬁrst he lived in Gerrard Street , oho , and a terwards in New Bond

r. M S . t D treet He came under the pa ronage of unro , and at his house ro to é s on Adelphi Terrace , where h is p g assembled to copy drawings , T Cotman probably ﬁrst met Girtin and urner . Girtin assisted in starting Th a club for practising landscape painting . e members met in the evening ’ at each other s houses by rotation a subject was chosen , and each treated i t f according to his own idea . The sketches became the property o the T m ember at whose house they met . I t is said that for th is reason urner d eclined to be one of the party . O n the back of a moonlight composition V M by Louis Francia , in the ictoria and Albert useum , is the following 1n sc r1p t1o n : T M Ma 2 0 th 1 his drawing was made on onday , y the , 799 , at the R P 1 6 S Le ic e s room of obert Ker orter of No . Great Newport treet , S Sir o su ah ter quare , in the very painting room that formerly was J ’ ’ Re n o ld s s . S (sic) y , and since has been Dr amuel Johnson s ; and for the ﬁrst time on the above day convened a small and select Society of Young Painters under the title (as I give it) o fthe Brothers met for the purpose of establish ing by practice a school of Historic Land i k ’ o e t c . . scape , the subjects being designs from p passages L Francia Th e S W “ ’ t T R . . D ociety consists of orthington , J C . enham , reas , 1 8

JO H N SE LL COTMAN

r f . Th e D rainin Mill frequently orm a prominent eature in his paintings g , Lincolnshire R , an oblong drawing , also in the eeve Collection , represents

the same mill as that shown in Plate XXX VI I I . In both drawings a light and warm tone prevails , and marks a transition to the hot sunshine pictures produced in later years . Mr a Ch m le r In Yorkshire Cotman became acquainted with . Fr ncis o l e y o B t randsby , who ook a warm interest in him and engaged h im to teach the

Ch o lm e le s . t young y drawing Cotman made some pencil por raits of them , showing he h ad already the idea of taking up portraiture , and he was

turning his thoughts to oil painting . At this early date he h ad shown o f signs those ﬁts of despondency , which developed so seriously in later

- life , owing to the want ofsuccess in the sale of his water colour paintings . 1 80 6 a R In he made his last appearance t the oyal Academy , sending six W - of his north country drawings . The Old ater Colour Society had been instituted in the previous year , and although Cotman did not join it , he pro — bably felt a grievance , like other water colour artists , at the scant manner R with which their works were treated by the oyal Academy . At the end of this year Cotman determined to leave London and re turn to h is native ’ — — . W . in city He took a house now pulled down Luckett s Court , ymer St t o f ree , and full hope looked forward to a successful future by teach ing and painting portraits . The Norwich Society of Artists had been founded and its ﬁrst e xhibition held in the previous year . Cotman joined the Society and was doubtless E a valuable addition to its members . To the xhibition of 1 807 he sent twenty drawings , some of them being portraits . H e had now deter mined to become a portrait painter , and was so designated in the cata

- logue . In the next year he contributed no less than sixty seven works .

In addition to portraits were compositions , showing that Cotman was O The Wate all still striving after someth ing fresh . ne was a study for rf R b e in the eeve Collection , from which subsequently produced the oil ’ Mr R painting in . ussell Colman s possession ; it is a poetic composition , W somewhat in the style of ilson . M Cotman married Ann iles , the daughter of a farmer at Felbrigg , in 1 80 9 , and as a means of further increasing his income he devised a scheme for circulating a collection of drawings , comprising six h undred works , o f on the plan a circulating library . The quarterly subscription was one o f guinea , and Cotman announced he would attend the delivery th e Drawings to Subscribers that he might facilitate their copying them by ”

. Two S h is instruction years later Cotman removed to outhtown , Great Y armouth , and whilst obtaining fresh pupils there he still continued to give drawing lessons at Norwich . At th is period he appears to have devoted h imselfmore to oil painting , and continued to do so spasmodically ; 2 0 JO H N SE LL COTMAN he never produced man works in this medium as he said “ they con ” s e ve ral umed too much time . seascapes , however , were painted , notably r re Fishing Boats o a m outh in the Norwich Museum . The two other prese ntative oil paintings by Cotman in that collection are The Bagg age

he h r . Wa on T Mis a M . . . gg and p , both bequeathed by J J Colman The c harming painting Boys Fishing (Plate X LIX) was produced from a sketch

e D ew Eve R M . ntitled y in the eeve Collection , British useum M M M P. r. S . Arthur ichael amuel , , a native of Norwich , and Lord M 1 12 s ayor ofthe cit in 9 , possesses in his extensive collection of picture Th 0 S Y 1 8. e an oil painting the outh Gate , Great armouth , built in 3 3 an d towers having fallen out of the perpendicular become unsafe , the r 1 8 1 Mr P - fabric was sold in Februa y 2 to . Jonathan oppy for twenty six ’ an d pounds , to be pulled down . The picture bears Cotman s signature d 1 8 12 ain te d ust ate , so it was presumably p j prior to the demolition of the D gateway . Cotman made an etching , dedicated to awson Turner , of this “ ” an d gate , it appeared in The Architectural Antiquities of Norfolk ,

P 1 8 1 8 oa . s o n Cromer each P late I , published in . B B ( late X LVI I I) , ’ Mr another oil painting in . Samuel s collection , shows a similarity in the d b handling of the brush , and certain like details are to be foun in oth pic t ures . There is a label on the back of the frame of the latter stating : W . Bo swe ll late Th irtle c arve r M S , , and gilder , agdalen treet , Norwich , and Mr S Th irtle . amuel is of opinion that may have taken the picture ’ o Th irtle s ver from Cotman , and being still unsold at the time of death ,

Boswell may have bought it from the widow , and then framed it for the person who ultimately purchased it . Also pasted at the back is the

M . re h 1 8 r. . S c o m : . 1 t 2 following advertisement Jan 5 , 5 , J Cotman m e n c es o fte ac h in D h is course g in the epartments of drawing , and paint — 2 th N Y ing in oil and water colour , on 4 in orwich , and in armouth on ’ ” 1 M 2 st . St P . instant . artin s at alace I t is somewhat curious that the boats represented in the picture are not typical o f th o se usually found at

Cromer . 1 8 1 1 81 8 Cotman made three visits to Normandy in the years 7 , , and 1 82 0 to study Norman arch itecture , and during these tours , in addition e nc ildraw in s to p g for h is etchings , he made numerous sketches for water colour paintings . Some of the latter he used on more than one occasion ; D ie e for instance , a very similar drawing to pp (Plate X XX IX) was on ex ’ h ibi io n 1 1 o f nt t Mi hel t P Mo S . c at aterson s Galleries in 9 3 , and (Plate XL) no less than four examples are recorded . Two of them were shown 1 888 at the Norwich Art Circle Exhibition in , and a third at the B urlington Fine Arts Club in the same year , the position of the group of

ﬁgures and horses in the foreground varying sligh tly in each case . Since his visits to France his paintings were now executed in a brighter key . 2 I JO H N S E LL COTMAN Cotman disposed o fh is house at Yarmouth in 1 82 3 and returned to Nor ’

M P . St. wich , occupying a commodious residence at artin s at alace Plain R After having discontinued the sending ofpaintings to the oyal Academy , B he had , up to this time , contributed works to the ritish Institution ; Mrs th e in sti atio n M . but through g of iss Turner and her sister , (afterwards S o f Lady) Palgrave , Cotman was elected an Associate of the ociety W t - 1 82 Painters in a er Colours in 5 , and h is first contributions were h in he Phenomeno o he Mi a e t Michel s ow t n t r . e e Mont S . D i pp and , g f g o fde s o n de n c At this period the fits p y, to which he was subjected , became ffi more acute , owing to financial di culties probably brought about by D ’ keeping up too large a house , and awson Turner in a letter to Cotman s father states The letter I had from h im last nigh t alarms me lest by brooding over his misfortunes h is mind should actually become unh inged . Late r in f an in vitatio n : M , re using from a friend , Cotman wrote y views in life are so completely blasted , th at I sink under the repeated and con f ff o . stant exertion body and mind Every e ort has been tried , even with out the hope o f su c c e ss hence that loss of spirits amounting almost to despair . Fortunately these fits of depression passed away and he was i o fl fe . enabled to take a brighter view , and even at times became h ilarious In 1 82 8 Cotman was engaged in the reopening of the Ex hibition of the S Norwich ociety of Artists , which had been discontinued for two years owing to its old quarters being pulled down , and meanwh ile a new gallery S had been built . In announcing the opening i t was stated that ince its s S establi hment the Norwich ociety h as sh own pictures , th e work 2 u of 3 3 individuals , and wh ile scarcely a single picture h as been bo gh t in the Norwich room — and the receipts at the door have never covered the expenses — the works of th e ve rysame art ists h ave been readily purch ased L L M at the exh ibitions in ondon , Edinburgh , eeds , Liverpool , anchester ,

. o f Newcastle , and Carlisle Th is complaint of th e lack patrons must surely have been disingenuous , when it is considered how both Crome and Cotman were assisted by t he Gurneys and Harveys and other well f f S “ h known Nor olk amilies . The name of the ociety was changed to T e Norfolk and Suffolk Institution fo r the Promotion o fFine Arts Crome d S V being dea , and James tark and George incent having left the ci ty , th e

spirit of the Norwich School had departed . Any painter with the sligh test E w as in vite d connexion with the astern Counties to contribute works , and to L owing easier communication with ondon , paintings by men who had f none of the tradition of the School adorned the walls o the Exhibitions . L - u ase rie s o f ater Cotman and his fellow artists inaug rated conversaziones , o f o f n o r which he speaks as being a great success . In spite th is retur 1 buoyant spirits all was not well . Towards the end of 83 3 a vacancy ’ — S L occurred in the drawing mastership at King s College chool , ondon , 2 2 JO H N SE L L COTMAN i d P and principally through the nﬂuence of his friend La y algrave , Cot W “ S Mr. man secured the appointment . edmore , in his tudies of English ” h o w Art , narrates Turner was asked on three separate occasions by

S . governors of the chool whom they were to choose H is replies were , to ” Wh “ the ﬁrst , y, ofcourse , Cotman ; to the second , I have already said ” W choose Cotman ; and to the last , hom are you to elect I am tired I I I !I I” of saying what I say again , Cotman Cotman Cotman I t is sad to think that a man with such brilliant talent should have been obliged to resort to the drudgery o f te ac h ing drawing during all h is career in order

to obtain a livelihood . Cotman , however , with renewed hopes , sold h is N possessions in orwich , including a large collection of prints , books , and B S S . drawings , and settled in Hunter treet , runswick quare Here , sur

rounded by friends , he enjoyed comparative ease for a time ; but two years later he was compelled to sell at Christie ’s some drawings wh ich he had c o lle c e d an d Th e ac o m le te t . , in addition a few of his own works sale was p

failure , few of the drawings fetching more than a pound apiece . He met , a however , with some success in another direction . He obtained an p ’ pointment for h is e lde st son as assistant drawing- master at King s College S chool , which enabled Cotman to devote more time to paint ing , and he also was elected an Honorary Member of the Institute of British Arch i

teets . At this period he turned his hand to painting ﬁgures and imagina ry com

positions , but they were not so successful as h is landscapes . He paid

periodical visits to h is native city , and on the last occasion , in the autumn

— - 1 8 1 h e . of 4 , made some charming black and wh ite studies About twenty M O he R . T of them are in the eeve Collection at the British useum ne , Wold A lo at e f , was executed with the great po tic feeling which he main ’ tain e d rom m athe r s Ho use at Tho r e to the last . Another study is F y F p ,

a view on the Yare looking towards Norwich . From it he commenced A Vim o th Norwich River 1 8 1 8 2 h is last oil painting , f e , dated January , 4 , M now in the Castle useum . It is quite unﬁnished , but it is valuable on o fits account showing how , unlike Crome who always produced nature as

he saw it , Cotman was always trying to improve on nature , the ﬁr trees

in the original sketch being replaced by poplars . O n his return from Norwich his health gradually gave way ; he lingered o n until J uly when he died from sheer exhaustion . His remains ’ o fSt W were interred in the burial ground at the back . John s ood Chapel . ’ o f Another sale his drawings was held at Christie s , and the result was as W lamentable as the former one . ithin half a century later , owing to the

demand for drawings by Cotman , numerous spurious works were thrown

on the market , and the Norwich Art Circle , on holding a loan exhibition o f 1 888 to “ his pictures in , found it necessary announce that the Council 2 3 JO H N SE LL COTMAN can conﬁdently assert that every drawing attributed to him in this Ex h i ” T h e f bitiou is the genuine work o fJo h n Sell Cotman . catalogue o this a exhibition contains a valuable memoir of the artist by Mr. J mes

Reeve . ff Cotman was an ardent etcher . H is earliest e orts on copper were pro e tc h in s wh ic h w ith late r w e re bably soft ground g , , others produced , even “ ” tu all 1 8 8 o f Stu dio ru m y published ( 3 ) under the title Liber , comprising — f - - f ro u n d o flan dsc a e s Millhan orty eight plates ; thirty nine were so t g , p h on the Thames (Plate LI I) being one of them— and the remainder hard W hi m d o ffi u re s. groun , g ith respect to his h ard ground etchings , as he h f P . t e 1 8 1 0 sel said , he distinctly followed iranesi Between years and 1 8 0 Tu rn e r se ve ral 2 he produced , in conj unction with h is friend Dawson , e series of etch ings . The first set , issued in parts under th e titl of Etch En l field S . . e . ings by John ell Cotman , was dedicated to Sir H C g , Bart ,

- B C o . 1 81 1 . and published by oydell and , It comprises twenty four plates , e x c e tio n are o f which , with one p , arch itectural antiqu ities , principallyin “ m Yorkshire . The next set was Nor an and Gothic Arch itecture in ” o f Norfolk , a series ﬁfty plates completed and published in a volume in “ ” 1 81 Arc h ite c tu ralAn ti u itie s 7 . In the next year appeared q of Norfolk ,

a atro n . S in wh ich each plate , sixty in number , is dedicated to p epulchral ” ’ f “ St M Brasses of Nor olk and Antiquities of . ary s Chapel at Stour ”

1 81 . bridge , near Cambridge , were issued in 9 The m ost important series , ” o f Architectural Antiquities Normandy , was issued after h is visits to the district . It contains one hundred etchings , accompanied by h istorical and descriptive notices by D awson Turner (see Plates L and LI) . These etchings are interest ing from an arch itectural point of view , as the sub e c ts j were selected for that purpose , whilst a few of them are treated Y a pictorially . At armouth Cotman illustrated with etchings a sm ll Y volume giving an account of the Grand Festival at armouth on Tuesday , 1 1 8 1 April 9 , 4 , held to celebrate the fall of Napoleon . He also produced ’ M Y a large plate of Nelson s onument at armouth , when the foundation ’ stone was laid in 1 81 7 . Cotman s copperplates were bough t at th e sale at

1 8 . i Norwich i n 3 4 by H G . Bohn , who subsequently ssued them as a col lectivo edition .

au m e o CASTLE n e w A STREAM ( I n t e evsseu w n yt T - f W A E R 0 0 1 O U R BY JOH N S E L L F. 11 s h eat us . ) h . e COTMAN ( 19 ; x 1“ m o vi e s)

T - L DY D . ( 111 th e ”n ew to n of CA ER IDRIS WA ER CO OUR 11 1 c u e s s e u . co m m ( 1 7 0 3 1 m ) l . Co m an Es .) Ru ud I l . q JOHN

1 m m 011 11. ” 1 no s rus m u o . 0 (ru the m m o f v x 13 m e n u ) JOHN s e u . co m m ( 17 ) C ma n Es . ) usse . o q R ll ] l .

OT H E R ME M B E RS OF T HE NO RW IC H SC H OO L

1 81 1 fﬁ an early age . In he was su ciently advanced , although only six R teen , to have his ﬁrst contribution accepted by the oyal Academy . In the following year he was elected a member o f the Norwich Society and became a regular contributor to the exh ibitions .

Afterwards Stark came to L ondon and entered the Academy Schools . 1 81 8 He contributed paintings to the British Institution , where in he gained a premium of fifty pounds . About two years later he returned to Norwich and devoted himself to painting the scenery around the city Wbzrlzh fiam om Old Th or e Grove P L T/zor e Wood P g ,fi p ( late I II) p ( late LI V) , st a e and The Fore G t (Plate LVII) are examples of his work at this period . Stark executed a series of paintings for a work on f‘ Scenery of the Rivers of ” Y Wave n e Eu ro T Norfolk , comprising the are , th e y and the . hey were W engraved by George and illiam John Cooke and others , and published in

1 8 t L . 3 4 , four years after h is re urn to ondon h is Stark founded art on a study of the Dutch landscape painters , and on h e f t instruction which he received rom h is master . He chose simple rural scenes , but in the treatment of h is subjects he h ad not the breadth and 1 8 0 W richness of Crome . In 4 he removed to indsor , and whilst residing ac h an e there his style underwent g , and to a great extent the feeling of the

S . N orwich chool disappeared He eventually returned to London , for the f ’ h o 2 t M 1 8 . purpose h is son s education in art , and died there on 4 arch , 59

H is remains were taken to Norwich and buried in the Rosary Cemetery . To a certain extent James Stark ’s reputation suffers from h is best works being attributed to Crome , whilst inferior paintings are ascribed to h im . Th e f Norwich Art Circle held a loan exh ibition o h is works in 1 887 . ’ S 1 8 1 tark s son , Arthur James , who was born at Chelsea in 3 , became a o f o a i n all in se rt c attle painter landscapes and of animals . He used to c c s o y ’ in his father s pictures . GEORGE VI NCEN T Th e f early career of George Vincent was very similar to that o Stark . The m 1 6 . son of a Norwich shawl anufacturer , he was born in 7 9 He was educated at the Grammar School and afterwards received instruction in f art rom Crome . In the years 1 81 1 and 1 8 1 2 h e contributed to the ex ’ h ibitio n at Sir Benjamin Wrench s Court works described as after ” ’ Crome , and under h is master s guidance h e made rapid progress in

. 1 81 painting in oils He exhibited ﬁfteen works at Norwich in 4 , besides R sending a painting to the oyal Academy . Two t n o n do n years la er Vincent left Norwich and took up h is residence i L . He exhibited landscapes at the British Institution and at th e Society of P t W - O ain ers in ater Colours , wh ich at this period was throwing pen its t doors oil paintings . At the same time he continued his connection wi th 2 g OTH E R M EM B E RS OF T HE N O R WIC H SC H OO L

I n 1 82 2 Norwich by sending pictures to the annual exh ibitions . he

T . married and went to reside at Kentish own He did not , however , remain R there long , as , according to correspondence preserved in the eeve Col T S S lection , he was residing at Upper hornhaugh treet , Bedford quare , in 1 82 N 4 , and was contemplating painting sketches of the battles of the ile T ff D and rafalgar , for which prizes had been o ered by the irectors of the Th e f h all . s British Institution Nor olk hero gained those battles , and it be said that Norfolk artists would not contend for the prize now offered ? ffi wrote Vincent . But owing to intemperance and financial di culties h is in te n tio n sw e re h im never carried out , and at the end of the year he found f se l a T h e . prisoner in Fleet Friends came to his rescue , and through one o fth e m Vincent obtained a commission to paint a large picture of Green ' tbicb Hos ita l p . He produced a noble painting , but until it was shown at ’ 1 86 2 the International Exhibition in , thirty years after the artist s death , his talents as a landscape painter had received but slight recognition . ’ Little further is known concerning Vincent s life and in 1 83 1 he disap e are d S p . In the catalogue of the ociety of British Artists in the following “ ” year deceased is added after his name , so it may be presumed that he o fh is h ad died . Nothing is definitely recorded of the time or place death . Vincent visited Scotland on one occasion and produced a few landscapes S of cottish scenery , but the maj ority of h is exhibited works are views of N Tro w' re Meadow: P LIX W/nrlin bam lo okin orfolk , and ( late ) and g , g toward: Norma/z (Plate LV I II) are good examples showing h is style of o a fin e rartist painting . He also produced s me etchings . Vincent was than Stark h is ff , paintings are broader and have more atmospheric e ect in them , and if he had not given way to intemperate habits he would probably have ranked amongst the foremost of British landscape painters . J O H N BE RNEY AN D WI LLIAM HEN RY C R O ME

“ " O 1n John Berney , the eldest son of ld Crome , was born at Norwich de ﬁc ie n d in D 1 . c e te rm e d ecember 7 94 H is father , realizing his own y, h is S son should have a sound education , and sent h im to the Grammar chool , w i li . t where he remained until eighteen years of age At the same time , a view to becoming a painter , he accompanied his father on h is sketching

- 8 1 Mr. . 1 6 tours In he went with h is school fellow , George Vincent , and M Steel , a doctor , who afterwards married iss Crome , on an excursion to

P . aris Later John assisted his father in teaching , and was appointed land o fS usse x be c am e a f scape painter to the Duke . He member o the Norwich Society and was appointed Vice- President in 18 1 8 and subsequently

President on several occasions . “ ” O n the death of Old Crome the son continued in the profession o r ’ G ilde n ate S teaching and occupied his father s house in g treet , to wh ich 2 7 OT H E R M E M B ERS OF T HE N ORWIC H SC H OO L S he added a studio . I n conjunction with John ell Cotman , he took a — 1 O re S 82 8. lively interest in the opening of t he Norwich ociety in wing , B however , to his extravagant habits John erney Crome became a bank ’ 1 8 1 o f f rupt in 3 , when the contents his ather s house were sold , and many ’ “ o f Old Crome s paintings and his own works were disposed o f at the Y to t ime . He retired to Great armouth where he continued teach draw

S 1 8 2 . ing until his death , which took place in eptember 4 John Berney Crome was a man of genial character and o fj o vial d ispo B L M sitio n . . . H is portrait , painted by H ove , hangs in the Castle useum , f Norwich . H is work shows the in luence of h is father , and h e painted ff River Scene b Moonli h t P L many moonlight e ects , the y g ( late X I II) , exe c u te d 1 8 . in 3 4 , being a characteristic example “ Old C ro m e w as 1 80 6 W . illiam Henry Crome , the th ird son of , born in f He also was a pupil of h is ather , and for a time assisted his brother in B u S teaching . He exhibited at the ritish Instit tion and the ociety of

B t e . ritish Artists , but does not appear t o h ave obtained any grea succ ss

RO B R D BRO O SO RY AND O N E T LA KE AN D H I S NS , HEN J H BERNEY LAD BRO O KE

1 0 R Born at Norwich in 77 , obert Ladbrooke was apprenticed to a printer and engraver . I n early life he became associated wi th John Crome , the t two being of about the same age , and for many years they were grea W friends . hen still boys they entered into a partnership and h ired a garret ’ f a u dio M B o r st . Later Ladbrooke married ary erney , the sister of Crome s wife , and t h is event helped to cement the friendsh ip . Robert Ladbrooke assisted Crome in the formation o r the Norwich S ociety of Artists , and contributed annually to the earlier exhibitions . 1 81 6 f In , however, a bitter quarrel arose wh ich terminated their riend S o fArtists ship , and the Norwich ociety was for a time divided into two camps . I t appears th at Robert Ladbrooke proposed that the proﬁts of th e exhibitions should be devoted to purchasing casts and any other works o r

art in order to lay the foundat ion of an Academy , at wh ich members might study and improve themselves . Crome , on the other hand , was desirous o f continuing to spend the money on monthly meetings in the evenings ,

at which supper should be provided , for the discussion of art topics . The result was that Ladbrooke seceded from the Society and took with Sille tt h irtle S . T him James , J Clover , John , Joseph tannard and others . They engaged a hall at the Shakes peare Tavern on Theatre Plain and held f f a separate exhibition . I t was called The Twel th Exh ibit ion o th e S ” f Norfolk and Norwich ociety of Artists , wh ilst the twel th exh ibition ’ ’ f S c o n tin u e d as Sir B W o the original ociety was , before , at enjamin s rench s : d Court Norwich could not support two art institutions , and after its thir 2 8

OT H E R M EM B E RS OF THE N ORW IC H SC H OO L

N orwich he would watch it from Castle H ill . Duri ng the latter par t of ff ff h is life Th irtle su ered from an a ection of the lungs , and after a long

f 1 8 . illness , wh ich greatly inter ered with h is sketching , he died in 3 9 The

1 886 . Norwich Art Circle , in , held a loan exh ibition of h is paintings ROBERT D IX O N

o rwic h R D 1 80 . A native ofN , obert ixon was born in 7 He went to London R early to study at the oyal Academy , and on h is return to Norwich he - a was for a time engaged in scene painting at the theatre . Afterw rds he

— - i . became a draw ng master He painted landscapes in water colour , as well as architectural subjects and c ompositions he was one of the contributors So c ie t o f h w as Vic e — P to the ﬁrst exhibition of the Norwich y, wh ich e resi ro du ce dase rie s o fe tc h in s f 1 8 1 0- 1 1 dent in 1 80 9 . He p g on so t ground in “ ” die din 1 8 1 o fth irt o fvie ws of Norfolk Scenery . He 5 at the early age y f o f ﬁve , and a few weeks a ter h is death an exh ibition his works was held W ’ at Sir Benjamin rench s Court . CHA RLES AN D D AVI D H O D GSON so n w e re These artists , father and , both staunch supporters of Crome and ff the Norwich Society of Artists , although their art lay in an entirely di er T h e fath e r Ch arle s 0d so n ent direction to that of the master . , H g , born in e be c am e m ath e m atic al the latter h alf of the eighteenth c ntury , master at the Norwich Grammar School and taught drawing . H is works were of an a d rchitectural character , and he was appointed arch itectural raughtsman to the D uke of Sussex . D 1 8 - avid Hodgson , born in 79 , became the drawing master at the Gram S ’ mar chool , and to a certain degree followed in his father s footsteps ; but bu ildin sw e re h is paintings assumed a more domestic ch aracter , in wh ich g f Old Fir/z Mar et orwiclz P N . the ch ie feature (see k , , late LXV I) He held h e o f ain te ro fdo m e i f t appointment p st c architecture to the Duke o Sussex .

He died in 1 864 at Norwich where he had lived all h is life . H EN RY N I NHAM

— John Ninh am was an heraldic painter and copper plate printer . H is son ’ H e n r bo rn 1 fath e r s ro fe ssio n y , at Norwich in 7 9 3 , was brough t up in h is p , and wasfor many years employed in painting armorial bearings on coaches .

- Later he painted to a small extent both in oil and water colours , chieﬂy Fis/z ate Street Norwic/z L arc h ite c views of Norwich (see g , , Plate XVI I) and ' ’ No rw ic h So c ie t s t ural subjects , many of wh ich he contributed to the y e xhibitions . He is also known for his etchings , which he executed in a careful and precise manner . He assisted other etchers in Norwich in bit ing and proving their plates . Several works containing etch ings and litho r h b a s 1 u . g p yhim were published . H e died in 874 and was b ried at N orwich 3 0 OTH E R MEM BE RS OF T HE NORWIC H SC HOOL j o sEPH AN D A LFRE D STANNA RD Th The two brothers Joseph and Alfred Stannard were both painters . e 1 R elder , J oseph , born i n 797 , received h is art education from obert Lad ishin oats P e brooke , and became ch ieﬂy a marine painter (see F g B , lat Thor e Water ro lic A tern oo n LXV I I I) . A large picture , p F , f , in the Castle a w H e e x e u te d o m t h Muse u m No rw ic h w s h is m o st im o rtan t o rk . c s e e c , , p “ ” ings wh ich were published in a volume , entitled Norfolk Etchings , in

8 d a 1 8 0 . 1 2 7 . He was always elic te and died in 3 S e ars o u n e r Alfred tannard was nine y y g than his brother Joseph , with w h m h u di d bu t th e w o rk s o f two bro th e rs are n o t sim ilar D o e st e . , the uring d his career he was ch ieﬂy occupied in teaching , but he painte pastoral Yarm o uth Jett P e scenes as well as some views on the coast (see y , lat S be LX IX) . He contributed to the exhibiti ons of the Norwich ociety , sides sending a few works to the British Institution and Society of Artists . o fe i h t - He died at Norwich at the advanced age g y three . H is son , Alfred o fh is fath e r and dau h te r Elo ise H arrie t George , painted in the style , h is g , , - executed still life subjects . MILES E D MU N D AND J O H N J OSE PH C OTMAN ’ ’ h is As in the case of Crome s eldest son , Cotman s ﬁrstborn was given ’ M mother s maiden name at his christening . iles Edmund , born at 1 8 10 Norwich in , became a pupil and companion of h is father , Joh n

Sell Cotman . He commenced when a boy of thirteen to send drawings S to the exhibitions of the Norwich ociety , and continued to do so until

- S . c o lo u rs an d the ociety ceased to exist He painted both in oil and water , ' his works , in which he followed the style of his father s earlier paintings , oats o n the Medwa P e are distinguished for their preciseness (see B y, lat l W i ls . S . Trows M . LX X V , and e , Plate LX XVI) hen Cotman left ’ J - S Norwich to become the drawing master at King s College chool , he handed over h is teaching connection in Norwich to his eldest son . Later , M ' S iles Edmund came to London to assist at King s College chool , and

- eventually succeeded his father as drawing master there . O wing to ill health he was obliged to relinquish the post and he returned to h is native 1 8 city to reside with h is brother , John Joseph , at Thorpe until 3 5 when P the two brothers removed to Great lumstead , on the outskirts of Nor W 1 8 8. wich . After teaching at North alsham for some years , he died in 5 1 8 1 S Y Joh n Joseph Cotman was born in 4 at outhtown , Great armouth . S He was placed with h is uncle , a haberdasher in London treet , but pos o fh is sessing the same early proclivities as his father , he spent much time h i in wandering about the country making sketches . He accompanied s 1 8 father to London in 3 4 , but returned again to Norwich to take over M to the teach ing connection from his brother iles , when the latter went 3 I OT H E R M EM B E RS OF T H E N O RWIC H SC H OO L

’ King s College School . From a journal wh ich J . J . Cotman kept (now u n i n the Reeve Collection) , it may be gathered that he was subject to g overnable ﬁts of temper and wanting in stability , and as he says one of the defects in my character is now , and has been , indecision and want of ” T M a perseverance . his was certainly the case , as an entr pl n is now ” t o f is rise at seven and get two hours work before break ast , followed by ” — R . ose late , nothing done before breakfast not even shaved He exe c u te d fe w - a oil paintings , but is better known for his water colours (see ’ Whitlin ham loohin to 'wards N orwich L g , g , Plate XX VI I) Unlike his brother s work , they are executed in a free manner , and in many of them blue is S ff extensively used . u ering from cancer , he was obliged to enter the Nor

t I 8 8. folk and Norwich Hospital , and died here in 7 TH O MAS LO U ND

B 1 80 2 . orn in , Thomas Lound was engaged in a brewery at Norwich

“ He was also a successful amateur painter of landscapes , both in oil — i in fro m o h n S l n stru c tio n . and water colours , receiving h is art J e l Cotman H e bec ame a member of the Norwich Society in I 81 8 and contributed R annually until its close . Later he exh ibited at the oyal Academy and B — ritish Institution . H is paintings were executed in a free manner see ’ l at l net s hhe E hed a P an t Be A P . y C r ( late LX XVI II) d S . y ( late LXX I X) 1 1 He died i n 86 at Norwich . Brief reference must be made to other artists who were connected with N S orwich , but whose work in no manner represents the famous chool of P W HOM S NI LL . D A D A A E ainting E R T D belonged to a Norfolk family . S w He was sent to the Norwich Grammar chool , where h e was taught dra

S . ing by Crome . He also received lessons from J . Cotman . Although D an ie llwas ordained a priest , he became a painter and excelled in etch ing . H e went on an exploring expedition to the East and died in I 84 2 from N I HT M . E Y G S fever in Asia inor H R BR , born at axm undham , went to N wi S . or ch where he was apprenticed to Paul quire , a chemist He took S S . AME I LLET T up art and eventually removed to London J , a painter of s - OSE PH LOV E D ANIEL O PPI N till life subjects ; J C R , a portrait painter ; C , c MI H EL W H A en re C A . S P hieﬂy a copyist ; R , a portrait and g painter ; R OBE T LEMAN NTHON Y SAN D S EDE I CK R , an amateur ; A and h is son , FR R A . SANDS SAN DY S LF ED P I EST (afterwards ) , the portrait painter ; A R R , a S be Godsto Brid e Ox ord pupil ofJames tark , whose style copied (see w g , f , OH N MI DDLETON AMES Plate LXXX) J , a pupil of Henry Brigh t ; and J WILLIAM WALKE - R , an art master .

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