The Norwich School of painters was the first provincial art movement established in Britain, active in the early 19th century. Artists of the school were inspired by the natural environment of the

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

landscape and owed some influence to the work of landscape painters of the

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and art and ...

such as Hobbema and

Ruisdael Ruisdael or Ruysdael is a Dutch surname. Notable persons with that name include: * Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael ( 1629–1682), Dutch Golden Age landscape painter, best-known of his family * Salomon van Ruysdael ( 1602–1670), Dutch Golden Age ...

History

The Norwich Society of Artists was founded in 1803 by John Crome and

Robert Ladbrooke Robert Ladbrooke (1768 – 11 October 1842) was an English landscape painter who, along with John Crome, founded the Norwich School of painters. His sons Henry Ladbrooke and John Berney Ladbrooke were also associated with the Norwich School. E ...

as a club where artists could meet to exchange ideas. Its aims were "an enquiry into the rise, progress and present state of painting, architecture, and sculpture, with a view to point out the best methods of study to attain the greater perfection in these arts." The society's first meeting was in "The Hole in the Wall" tavern; two years later it moved to premises which allowed it to offer members work and exhibition space. Its first exhibition opened in 1805, and was such a success that it became an annual event until 1825. The building was demolished but the society re-opened three years later, in 1828, as "The Norfolk and Suffolk Institution for the Promotion of the Fine Arts" at a different venue and exhibitions continued until 1833. The leading light of the movement was John Crome who attracted many friends and pupils until his death in 1821. The mantle of leadership then fell on

John Sell Cotman John Sell Cotman (16 May 1782 – 24 July 1842) was an English marine and landscape painter, etcher, illustrator, author and a leading member of the Norwich School of painters. Born in Norwich, the son of a silk merchant and lace dealer, C ...

, a member of the society since 1807, who continued to keep the society together until he left Norwich for London in 1834. The society effectively ceased to exist from that date. The Norwich School's great achievement was that a small group of self-taught

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

artists were able to paint with vitality the hinterland surrounding Norwich, assisted by meagre local patronage. Far from creating

pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking i ...

s of the Dutch 17th century, Crome and Cotman, along with

Joseph Stannard Joseph Stannard (13 September 1797 7 December 1830) was an English marine, landscape and portrait painter. He was a talented and prominent member of the Norwich School of painters. After attending the Norwich Grammar School, his parents pai ...

, established a school of landscape painting which deserves greater fame; the broad washes of J.S. Cotman's water-colours anticipate French

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...

. One reason the Norwich School artists are not so well known as other painters of the period, notably

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

and Turner, is because the majority of their canvases were collected by the industrialist J. J. Colman (of Colman's mustard fame), and have been on permanent display in

Norwich Castle Museum Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman conquest of England. The castle was used as a ...

since the 1880s. This lack of wider exposure was remedied in 2001, when many of the school's major works were exhibited outside Norwich for the first time at the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

, London in 2000.Brown, D. B. & Hemingway, Andrew & Lyles, Anne. Romantic Landscape, The Norwich School of Painters (Tate Gallery Publishing, 2000).

Gallery

File:Mousehold Heath, Norwich, by John Crome.jpg, John Crome, ''Mousehold Heath, Norwich'' (c. 1818),

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

File:John Sell Cotman 002.jpg,

, ''Greta Bridge'' (),

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

File:Painting, 'Portrait of George Vincent (1796-1832), with landscape background by himself'.jpg, Joseph Clover ''Portrait of George Vincent'', background by

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

(undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Henry Bright - On the Norfolk Broads - Google Art Project.jpg, Henry Bright, ''On the Norfolk Broads'' (c. 1855), Yale Center for British Art File:Vincent - A distant view of Pevensey Bay, the landing place of King William the Conqueror.jpg, George Vincent, ''A distant view of Pevensey Bay, the landing place of King William the Conqueror'' (1820), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Beach Scene, Mundesley, Norfolk by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg,

, ''Beach Scene, Mundesley, Norfolk'' (undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Thorpe Water Frolic, Afternoon.jpg,

, ''Thorpe Water Frolic, Afternoon'' (undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Stannard Christmas still life.jpg,

Eloise Harriet Stannard Eloise Harriet Stannard (1829–1915) was a British 19th century painter known for her still life work. She was one of only two notable women artists associated with the Norwich School of painters, Britain's first provincial art movement. Biog ...

, ''Christmas still life'' (1886),

Museum of John Paul II Collection The Museum of John Paul II Collection ( pl, Muzeum Kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II) in Warsaw, also known as the Porczyński Gallery or Carroll-Porczyński Collection, is a museum dedicated to its painting collection, which is housed in the building o ...

, Warsaw File:John Berney Crome, Amsterdam.jpg,

John Berney Crome John Berney (or Barney) Crome (1 December 1794 – 15 September 1842) was an English landscape and marine painter associated with the Norwich School of painters. He is sometimes known by the nickname 'Young Crome' to distinguish him from hi ...

, ''Amsterdam, The Netherlands'' (undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Fishermen on a Beach with Boats by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg,

, ''Fishermen on a Beach with Boats'' (undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Sandys - Study of the head of a young mulatto woman -full face.jpg, Frederick Sandys, ''Study of the head of a young mulatto woman full face'' (c. 1859), Art Gallery of New South Wales File:James Sillett, by James Sillett.jpg,

James Sillett James Sillett (before 16 May 1764 – 6 May 1840) was an English still life and landscape artist. He showed himself to be one of the most versatile of the Norwich School of painters: although the great majority of his works were still lifes and ...

, ''Self portrait 1803'' (1803), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Thomas Lound - A View near Norwich - Google Art Project.jpg,

Thomas Lound Thomas Lound (13 July 180118 January 1861) was an amateur English painter and etcher of landscapes, who specialised in depictions of his home county of Norfolk. He was a member of the Norwich School of painters, and lived in the city of Norwich ...

, ''A View near Norwich'' (c. 1850), Yale Center for British Art File:Alby - John Middleton.jpg, John Middleton, Alby (1847), Norfolk Museums Collections File:Devil's Tower near King Street Gates - Evening.jpg, John Thirtle, ''Devil's Tower near King Street Gates – Evening'' (undated), Norfolk Museums Collections File:James Stark - Lambeth from the River looking towards Westminster Bridge - Google Art Project.jpg, James Stark, ''Lambeth from the River looking towards Westminster Bridge'' (1818), Yale Center for British Art File:William Joy - The Rescue of the Survivors of the Brig Henry.jpg,

William Joy William Joy (fl. 1310 – 1348) was an English master mason, or architect, of the Decorated Gothic style, known for his work on several English cathedrals. Joy's cathedral work shows influences of Bristol Cathedral, and he may have originated f ...

, ''The Rescue of the Survivors of the Brig'' Henry (undated)

Members and associates

* Henry Bright * James Bulwer * Joseph Clover * Samuel David Colkett and Victoria Susannah Colkett * Edwin Cooper * Daniel Coppin *

Frederick George Cotman Frederick George Cotman (14 August 1850 Ipswich–1920) was an English painter of landscapes, portraits and interiors and a member of the Norwich School of painters. Life Frederick was born into the Cotman family of artists. His parents were ...

* John Joseph Cotman *

* Miles Edmund Cotman * John Crome ("Old Crome") *

("Young Crome") * Edward Thomas Daniell * Robert Dixon *William Philip Barnes Freeman *Joseph Geldart * Charles Hodgson * David Hodgson * John Cantiloe Joy and William Joy * Frederick Ladbrooke *

John Berney Ladbrooke John Berney Ladbrooke (31 October 180311 July 1879) was an English landscape painter and lithographer, who was associated with the Norwich School of painters. Life Ladbrooke was born in the English county of Norfolk on 31 October 1803. He was t ...

* Robert Leman *

* Horace Beevor Love * Maria Margitson * John Middleton * Henry Ninham *John Ninham * Alfred Priest *Anthony Sandys * Frederick Sandys * Obadiah Short *

* Alfred Stannard * Alfred George Stannard *

* Emily Stannard (Emily Coppin) *

* Arthur James Stark * James Stark * John Thirtle * George Vincent

References

External links

The Norwich School
(Andrew Graham Dixon, ''Sunday Telegraph'' features)
Norfolk Museums service
{{Authority control 1803 establishments in England Culture in Norfolk History of Norfolk British art movements English art

History

Gallery

Members and associates

References

Further reading

External links