CHAPTER XXIV.

Norwich Artists in the Nineteenth Century.

NORWICH artists must have flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, as proved by their portraits of city worthies in the Guildhall and St. Andrew’s Hall, but we have few notices of early painters or engravers. About the commencement of the present century, a gentleman named Thomas Harvey lived at Catton, and was recognised as a very clever amateur artist. He painted in oil, admirably, and he induced several of the leading artists of the day to visit Norfolk, such as Opie, Gainsborough, Sir William Beechey, Collins, and many others, who produced beautiful works of art.

About the year 1802, a few professional and amateur artists, drawn together by a similarity of taste and inclination, for the advancement of the arts of painting and design in their native city, began to associate to form a regular academy. Each member in his turn furnished matter of discussion according with his particular view; and by eliciting the opinions of his brother artists, mutually communicated and received information. The first exhibition of this society was in 1805, in Wrench’s Court, and contained 223 pictures. The following is a list of the members and exhibitors of the Norwich Society of Artists from the first catalogue of 1805:—Arthur Browne, J. Blake, E. Bell, (engraver) Mrs. Coppin, H. M. M. Crotch, M. B. Crotch, J. Crome, R. Dixon, J. Freeman, W. Freeman, Rev. Wm. Gordon of Saxlingham, C. Hodgson, W. Harwin, R. Ladbrooke, W. C Leeds, J. Percy, J. Thirtle, F. Stone, architect. This Society of Artists, after their establishment, within twenty years exhibited about 4000 pictures, the productions of 323 painters, very few of which were sold here, but which were readily purchased in London and other places. In fact, the local artists were very little patronized in the city; and old Crome, one of the very best landscape painters in England, was a very poor man all his life, though, since his death, his pictures have been sold for thousands of pounds in London.

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JOHN CROME, sen., was born December 21st, 1769, in the parish of St. Peter per Mountergate. He was apprenticed to Mr. Francis Whisler, coach, house, and sign painter, who, in 1783, lived in Bethel Street; but he felt the true impulse of genius, and his industry surmounted all obstacles. By almost unaided exertions he cultivated drawing and painting in oil with such ardour and success, that during the latter years of his life he had attained an eminence highly creditable, and was incessantly employed as a master in the one branch by families of distinction, and by the principal schools of Norfolk and Norwich. He possessed the rare faculty of communicating the ardour he himself felt to his pupils, both professional and amateur. His mind was too acute to exact from them a servile imitation of his own style; on the contrary he contented himself with instilling the more useful principles of art, and with giving freedom and spirit to their pencils. He then invited them to let loose the reins of fancy and taste, and to follow unfettered the promptings of imagination. The fruits of this wise discrimination were seen in the reputation of his son, and his companions in excellence, whose works for some time attracted much attention in the metropolis to the growing talents and promise of the Norwich school of artists. In the other department he was seldom without commissions. He principally cultivated landscape painting, and he was exceedingly happy in seizing small picturesque local scenes, which he elevated to a degree of interest which they could hardly bear in their natural state. He was in painting the counterpart of Burns in poetry, both delighting in homely scenes. His pictures were beginning to be known and appreciated in London, the great mart of talent, and those he last exhibited in the British Gallery gained him a lasting fame. He was a man of heart, of impulse and feeling, quick, lively, and enthusiastic, and in his conversation animated to a high degree, especially when speaking on subjects connected with his art, the fond, the incessant, the earliest and latest object of his thoughts. A wide field of enterprise and exertion had just opened upon his view, the last stage of his ardent ambition had unfolded itself, when he was suddenly seized with an acute disease, which terminated his life in the short space of seven days, on April 22nd, 1821, aged fifty years. He was buried in a vault in St. George’s Colegate Church, where the last sad offices of respect were paid to his memory by a numerous attendance of artists and other friends. Of late years a subscription was raised here for a monument to his memory, and after some delay a suitable memorial was placed in the church. (_See page_ 89.)

The following list of Mr. Crome’s principal pictures, with their former possessors, was extracted from the published catalogue of his works:—

“Lane Scene near Hingham,” 1812; “Lane Scene at Blofield,” 1813; and “Grove Scene near Marlingford,” 1815—Samuel Paget, Esq., of Yarmouth.

“View at the back of the New Mills,” 1817—William Hawkes, Esq., Norwich.

“Wood and Water Scene near Bawburgh,” 1821—Miss Burrows, Burfield Hall.

“View in Postwick Grove,” 1816—Lord Stafford.

“Hautbois Common, Norfolk,” 1810—Mr. F. Stone, Norwich.

“Lane Scene near Whitlingham,” 1820—Mr. Charles Turner.

“Scene near Hardingham, Norfolk,” 1816—Mr. J. B. Crome.

“Lane Scene,” 1817—John Bracy, Esq.

“Carrow Abbey,” 1805—P. M. Martineau, Esq.

“Cottage and Wood Scene,” 1820—Michael Bland, Esq., London.

“Landscape—Evening”—Mr. Crome.

“Grove Scene,” 1820—Mr. F. Geldart, jun.

“View of the Italian Boulevards at Paris,” 1815; and “Fish Market at Boulogne,” 1820—R. H. Gurney, Esq.

A “Wood Scene” was the last picture painted by Old Crome, in April, 1821. He painted many others, and etched a number of plates of Norfolk scenery, some of which have been printed. His pictures have been lent for various exhibitions and always much admired.

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J. B. CROME, son of the father of the Norwich School of Landscape Painting, was a landscape painter of moonlights, &c. The editor of the _Examiner_ for March, 1828, speaking of this artist’s pictures, says:—

“Mr. Crome’s moonlight is good, and has the grey and brown hues of Vanderneer, whose moonlight scenes have been considered the best as to natural effects; but except the parts under the immediate light of the moon, no specific colour should be seen. The browns and yellows here mingle well into the black shades of night, and have nothing of that flat grey blue which justly made coloured moonlights to be compared to a shilling on a slate.”

Mr. J. B. Crome’s pictures were “Rouen,” in the possession of Mrs. Southwell, Wroxham; “Yarmouth Quay”—T. Cobbold, Esq., Catton; “Yarmouth Beach, Moonlight”—R. J. Turner, Esq., Catton; “View near Amsterdam, Moonlight”—J. Geldart, Esq., Norwich; “Norwich by Moonlight”—Hon. General Walpole; “Moonlight”—C. Turner, Esq., Norwich. Several others of this artist’s pictures were exhibited at the Norwich Industrial Exhibition in 1867, and were much admired.

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MISS CROME, daughter of Old Crome, was a painter of fruit and flowers from nature, and painted successfully.

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JOSEPH CLOVER was a native of this city, but he resided some time in London. His first efforts in art were directed to engraving, and by the advice of a gentleman named Stocks, he took an impression of one of his plates to the late Alderman Boydell, in Cheapside, whose remarks on this performance discouraged him from following the profession of an engraver, and he remained for some time undetermined as to his further pursuit in art, until the following autumn, when being introduced by his uncle to the late Mr. Opie, whilst painting a portrait of that relation, he was so astonished at the facility with which the artist painted, and so delighted with his conversation, that he resolved from that moment to be a painter. He took Mr. Opie’s advice and followed him to town, from which period, namely, April, 1807, being nearly four years, he enjoyed that artist’s friendship. In the year 1806, Mr. Clover was accidentally introduced to the late Richard Cumberland, the dramatic poet, who perceiving that the artist’s health was much impaired by a too close application to study, invited him to his house at Ramsgate, and by his introduction he painted several portraits, and to the hospitable residence of this gentleman he repeated his visits during the summer months for fourteen years. In Norwich, he painted three full-length portraits for St. Andrew’s Hall, besides a number of others, and a picture called “Divided Attention,” for his friend Mr. Turner, of Norwich. This first-rate picture excited much interest in London. Some of the early pictures of this artist were at Beau Port, the house of the late Sir James Bland Burgess, and at Battle Abbey in Sussex. Subsequently Mr. Clover had the honour of being patronised by the Marquis of Stafford and other noblemen.

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WILLIAM ROBERT DIXON was a native of this city. His etchings of views in Norfolk were in the possession of many persons in Norwich. Mr. Charles Turner had an interesting collection of his drawings. As a scene painter he was much admired. He had many tempting offers from the London and other managers of theatres; but being fondly and firmly attached to his native city and a choice circle of friends, no allurements could induce him to leave them. He was very popular as a teacher of drawing. He died October 1st, 1815.

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CHARLES HODGSON, a native of this city, was a painter of interior architecture, particularly of the early English style, and of considerable reputation for his excellent drawing and correct perspective in water colours, which subjects he was afterwards induced to paint in oil, in which he excelled. He was a constant exhibitor in the London exhibitions. His pictures were in the possession of several gentlemen in the city and county.

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DAVID HODGSON, son of the above, a native also of this city, was a painter of exterior architecture, landscape, &c. Some of his pictures of interiors of churches were in the possession of William Herring, Esq., Norwich; Pair of Landscapes, W. Roberts, Esq., of Birmingham; Large Landscape, Rev. J. Hollingworth, Newcastle; Small Landscape, Wm. Gate, Esq., Carlisle; Market Scenes, T. Bignold, Esq., Norwich; Landscape, Mr. S. Coleman; Pair of Small Landscapes, Mr. Stone, Norwich; Tombland, Mr. Stone; Landscape, Mr. G. Cooke, engraver; Pair of Street Scenes, Mr. Yarington, Norwich; Market Scenes, sold at the Liverpool exhibition.

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ROBERT LADBROOKE, landscape painter, for many years enjoyed considerable celebrity as a drawing master, and in 1821 commenced the publication of “A Series of Views of the Churches in Norfolk,” printed in lithography, of which ninety numbers were completed.

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JOSEPH STANNARD was a marine painter, in which walk of art he established a high reputation. His subjects were generally finely chosen, and painted with all the truth and transparency of nature. The grouping of his vessels displayed an admirable taste, and they were embellished with the most correctly-drawn figures, highly characteristic of the stations they occupied.

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MRS. STANNARD, wife of the above, was a painter of fruit, flowers, fish, still life, &c. Her maiden name was Coppin, and her mother was rewarded by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, for several copies of painting. The daughter’s productions were highly esteemed by the lovers of art.

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ALFRED STANNARD. The talents of this artist, at an early period of his life, gained him the approbation of the critics of the London Journals—which noticed works of fine arts as exhibited in the National Gallery. The _Literary Gazette_ of March, 1828, contained this notice,—

“No. 152, Trowse Hall, Norwich, painted on the spot by A. Stannard. We think that this work partakes more of the Flemish style of art than legitimately belongs to a picture painted on the spot; its elaborate finish must necessarily have required considerable time in the execution; and the character of our climate is much too variable, day after day, to paint from the same hue of atmosphere, and the same effect of Chiaroscuro. Be that as it may, the excellence of the performance, however it may have been achieved, is an abundantly sufficient passport to regard of this artist’s picture. No. 431, Sluice Gate, on the river Wensum, shews the close resemblance of character and execution between the works of some of our artists and the best pictures of the Flemish school.”

The critic might have added that most of the people of Norwich are of Flemish or Danish extraction, and that the Norwich school of painting seems to have been derived from the Flemish school. The subjects painted, and the style of treatment are very similar.

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JAMES STARK was articled to the senior Crome for three years, from 1810 or 1811, at the expiration of which time he went to London and drew at the Royal Academy, which place he was obliged to leave from ill health. The first picture which he exhibited at the British Gallery, represented “Boys Bathing,” purchased by the Bishop of Oxford. His other pictures were “Flounder Fishing,” in the possession of Sir J. Grey Egleton, Bart.; “Penning the Flock,” the Marquis of Stafford; “Lambeth,” the Countess de Grey; “Grove Scene,” Thomas Phillips, Esq.; “Grove Scene,” Francis Chantrey, Sculptor; besides many others in the possession of George Watson Taylor, Esq., M.P.; Mr. Davenport, M.P.; Charles Savill Onley, Esq., M.P.; Onley Savill Onley, Esq.; &c., &c. In 1827, this artist circulated proposals for printing “Scenery of the Rivers Yare and Waveney,” with engravings from his own paintings, and the work was beautifully carried out.

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J. S. COTMAN became one of the most celebrated artists in the Water Colour Society, and attained a very high position in London, where he was appointed Drawing Master at King’s College; he published Views in Normandy, and also a work on the Sepulchral Brasses of this locality. His pictures have always commanded high prices. His two sons also became eminent artists.

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About the year 1830, there was something like a School of Art commenced in Norwich, where artists and amateurs could study art in a proper manner, from the best casts of the finest statues. Before then, artists had to study as they best could, and their education was very imperfect. They are much indebted to John Barwell, Esq., for promoting their interests in this respect, and rendering them great assistance by his knowledge of art. Amongst the members of the new society were the Barwells, father and son, the Cotmans, the Freemans, T. Geldart, A. Sandys, S. Miers, and many others who studied art either from the cast or the life.

The Norfolk and Norwich Art Union opened their exhibition of pictures on August 16th, 1839, at the Bazaar, in St. Andrew’s Broad Street. About 400 pictures were exhibited, many of them being of a high order of merit. At subsequent exhibitions, many pictures of local artists were exhibited, including some of the Cromes, the Ladbrookes, the Stannards, the Cotmans, Hodgson, Stark, Vincent, Downes, Sandys, Capt. Roberts, and others much admired. A Fine Art Association has also been recently established. It held its first exhibition in August, 1868. A large number of the pictures were disposed of on the principle of an Art Union.