WA L K E R ’ S Q UA RT E R LY HE NRY BR IGHT B 1 8 1 0 circa Died 1 8 ( orn , 7 3) NORWICH SCHOOL - Go r d o n R o e . ) Y R e A 3 7 umlm m ’ 4 01M: WAL KE R S GALL E R IES 1 1 8 , N E W BOND STREET LONDON, W. 1 E "RIC z l NETT. In ro u r t d c to y . H E c ompara tive obs c urity in which the histories of so many e x celle nt artists are still shrouded has inspired me to issue a Quarterly , which will re count the salie nt d a fe atures of their lives , an provide reli ble u on D u n criticisms p their respective styles . ri g ’ the c ourse of a many ye ars proprie torship ’ n of Walker s G alleries , in N ew Bo d S tre et , I have be e n a stonished to find how little known on u n oo a a are the and , c seq e tly , p rly ppreci ted m u “ L ” T works of nu ero s e sser Masters . his is due p artly to the fact that such p ainters h ave either be en overlooked or else dismissed with non - ex haustive accounts in the most commonly handle d books of reference . Fre quenters of my g alleries will be the first to acknowledge that I have be e n ev er rea dy to the o f n ex hibit w rks o this class , whe their m t a an d merits s e e ed o w rr t publicity , an , although my regul ar visitors are usually n a I thoroughly conversa t with rtistic lore , ve nture to hop e that these p ages may be referred to in cases of doubt concerning the lives of those with whom they are concerned . ’ Walker s Quarterly is not solely designed to a a a n I de l with dece sed rtists . I the future h0 pe to call a tte ntion to unrecognised con m o a w h a te p r ries , o only require an initi l m u to a e m in i pe t s pl c the their proper sphere . Wa - Co ou be fa ut ter l r will voured chiefly , b engravi ngs " especially aquatints " will receiv e due a n on T fi u a tte ti . his rst iss e is confined to a n ho ou p i ter w , th gh his de ath occurred le ss than 50 ye ars back , is o nly now assuming his m n n proper and per a e t pl ace in British A rt . A s the fo o n a n ll wi g p ges will pro ve , H e ry ’ Bright s life w as one of honoura ble distinction in his a n H e ha R a r c lli g . d oy lty , his brothe u and if the n m n I a e br shes , , u erous cutti gs h v an n his inspected are y criteri on, the "re ss o H w as a fu r - ma a side . e highly success l a t ster , member of the N ew Society of "a inters in - ou and o he Water Col rs , a familiar e x hibit r at t R o a A a m and B n on To y l c de y ritish I stituti . o n all he n u n cr w , e "oyed the fri endship of T r er . D all a espite these advantages , the public p ssed to om n f b a a in the e i f s ethi g re sh, ut I m h ppy b l e that my ow n efforts at restoring his l aurels are a n ffe and a H n B be a t ki g e ct , th t e ry right will . name to o n n fu - re c g ise i ture te x t bo oks . W A U GU STU S A LK E R . z 3 " x8 int Si e 5} . FAST CAS TL E H enry Bright O F TH E N O R WICH SC H O O L B F on R oe y . Gord . H E period intervening between Henry ’ Bright s death a nd the present day has been marked by scattered a ttempts to recall his cl aims to remembrance . The 1910 Winter Exhibition at Burlington ’ u ' w as a l Ho se , to which lent the E r of Wemyss s “ ’ a be utiful St . Benet s Abbey , Norfolk , is still fresh a al are a l a in mind , s so the import nt co lections pl ced on ’ a 19 1 and a view at Walker s G lleries in 1 the present ye r . These latter afforded practically unique Opportunities for the London public to "udge Bright , not only by his a l a a oils , but also by selected ex mp es of his p stels, w ter colours and pe ncil drawings . A few of the most i are u u strik ng items reprod ced in this broch re . ’ A discerning writer who, when penning Bright s ’ obituary in The A rt Journal, O bserved of the artist s remaining works that collectors will do well to secure ” some one , or more of these desirable examples , is now being amply "ustified in his a dvice . Although Bright a u achieved a high popul rity d ring his life , his pictures are now commencing to be held in that more lasting u and esteem which , based on m at red unbiassed "udg ment , must inevitably gain him an assured niche with the grea t m asters of the Norwich school . If Bright w as of Norfolk by tuition , he w as of uff l a at S o k by birth , his first bre th being drawn a in 18 1 1 a Saxmundh m either 0 or 8 14. The baptism l registers Ofthe parish church are silent on the question ; no instan ce of the n ame occurs in them between 1805 2 an d 18 0. This is not to be wondered at, however , as l the Brights were Independents . They a ttended the O d a at a a u am and ch pel Rendh m , three miles from S xm ndh , ’ owned a vault in its graveyard . The early registers of he a in u a u u t ch pel , now Somerset Ho se , con t in n mero s references to the fa mily , but, unfortun ately , the most “ a u a a a import nt is nd ted , simply st ting th t Henry Bright , and ua a c t the son of Jerome S s n Bright , of the p rish ” a u a w as h a S xm ndh m , born . T is en try is s ndwiched 18 11 and 18 12 but between others of . respectively , the compilation of the register is extremely erratic , and 18 10 a a m y have been intended . Jerome Bright had sever l I children , but did not notice any younger than Henry , wherea s some were born so long previous to him as the ’ ’ 1790s . O n the other hand , Henry Bright s age at dea th 1 73 w as u e as 59 and u ( 8 ) p blish d , this is s pported by the ’ la statement of the a rtist s grandson , Mr . J . H . C . Mi l r, who has always understood that the birth took place in ’ a a a the ye r before W terloo . According to the rtist s ’ niece , now approaching her nineties , Henry Bright s “ father w as a high -cl ass J eweller and La pidary at ” a a S axmundh m . A more gener l reference to his ’ a ea M 19120 D a uff l antecedents pp rs in Add . S . ( vy s S o k Collections , Vol . He w as , I believe , of " The Bright vault at Rendham is so deeply embedded in ivy as to an . The i render y inscriptions illegible Congregational M nister , the . f J. s i Rev Al red Ba den , has very courteously prov d ed me with e x tracts from the registers recording the following burials z" Ellen f of of x 3 rd Maria , in ant daughter Denny Bright , Sa mundham , April , “ ” “ 18 3 9 J i 1846 . B 1846 . ; Miss ane Br ght , ; Mr right , ; Mrs of x 22nd J 18 47 J B Bright , Sa mundham , anuary , : erome Denny right , of x 21s t 187 1 so n of J an d n 9th Sa mundham , April , ( erome Susa , born “ r 1793 14 18 7 1 79th J B M a ch , , died th April , , in year) ; ane right was f 12th J interred in the amily vault , uly , 6 z e 16 x I O in Si } s. TH E WH T I E CLO UD O N THE HtLt. ax m mi S und ham formerly, where the fa ly has been 10“ ” n established as tradesme . ’ Bright s early years did not lack romance . An early inclination towa rds an artistic profession rece ived sma ll ura m fa a enco ge ent from his ther , who pprenticed him a to Woodbridge chemist .