Henry Bright (painter)
Encyclopedia
Henry Bright was an English landscape painter associated with the Norwich School.
Henry was born in Saxmundham
, Suffolk
, the third son of some nine children of Jerome Bright (1770–1846), a clockmaker, and Susannah Denny, of Alburgh
in Norfolk
(who were married on 28 June 1790). They were nonconformist and attended services in the Congregational Chapel at Rendham
, a few miles from Saxmundham.
Henry was apprenticed by his family to a chemist in Woodbridge
, but was then transferred to another chemist in Norwich, Paul Squires. Either during, or after, his time with Squires, Bright became a dispenser at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
. During his first apprenticeship he is said to have spent all his free time sketching.
His obvious artistic talents were finally recognised and he became a pupil of Alfred Stannard (1806–1889), the younger brother of Joseph Stannard
. He is also said to have been trained by John Berney Crome
(1794–1842), who was John Crome
's son, and John Sell Cotman
(1782–1842), both members of the Norwich Society of Artists.
About 1833 Bright returned to Saxmundham to marry Eliza Brightley (d. 1848) who came from the same town. They went on to have 2 sons and 2 daughters, of whom only the daughters are known to have survived into adulthood. The couple moved to Paddington
, London in 1836, then to Ealing
in 1848 (the same year that Eliza died). By 1854, Bright was living in St John's Wood
, but left London in 1858 for health reasons and settled with his daughters in his brother's house in Saxmundham.
Bright continued to visit London for business reasons and to view exhibitions, and, from 1860, lived at Redhill
in Surrey for a few years. He also spent some time in Maidstone
, Kent.
Bright died in Ipswich
in 1873. The family vault bears the following inscriptions:
"In Memory of Harriet, daughter of J & S Bright of Saxmundham who departed this life June 15th 1810 in the 16th year of her age also [Catherine] who died 1817 aged 21 years also of Alfred their 2nd Son who died Augt 1821 in the 20th year of his age Also of JEROME BRIGHT who died July 17th 1846 aged 76 years also of SUSANNAH BRIGHT who died Jan. 17th 1847 aged 76 years also of JEROME DENNY BRIGHT who died April 21st 1871 aged 79 years and also JANE FULLER BRIGHT who died July 10th 1876 aged 83 years
NEAR THIS PLACE LIES MARY THE WIFE OF J.D. BRIGHT OF SAXM SHE DIED OCTR 21ST 1825 AGED 29 YEARS"
Bright painted in various locations in England, Scotland, Wales and the continent, working in oils
, watercolour, chalk and pencil. During a few of these sketching expeditions he was accompanied by J M W Turner, no less, with whom he had struck up a friendship. Bright's work was also highly regarded by John Ruskin
.
Bright's first major exhibition was at the British Institution
, London in 1836. He became a member of the New Society of Painters in Watercolours
in 1839, where he exhibited until 1844. Although his obituary in the Art Journal
states that he did not exhibit in oils until the Royal Academy
exhibition of 1845, this is not certain.
Bright developed friendships with leading artists, including Samuel Prout
, Henry Jutsum
, David Cox
, George Lance
, William Collingwood Smith
, William Leighton Leitch
and James Duffield Harding
. Bright was influenced by Harding’s oil and pencil technique and, like him, he issued a number of drawing-books in the 1840s. His use of chalk and stump
on buff paper is similar to that of Robert Leman (1799–1863), while John Middleton strongly influenced his use of watercolour, particularly in 1847.
Bright’s name was also associated with the manufacture of coloured crayons. He established a profitable career teaching the titled and well-to-do, many of whom became his patrons. In 1844 Queen Victoria purchased Bright’s "Entrance to an Old Prussian Town" (London, Royal Collection
) from the New Society of Painters in Watercolours. He also received several commissions from the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia.
His professional success extended to producing works jointly with other artists, including John Frederick Herring and William Shayer, where Bright usually contributed the background. Throughout his career in London, Bright maintained links with the Norwich
artists.
Life
Saxmundham
Saxmundham is a small market town in Suffolk, England. It is set in the valley of the River Fromus, a tributary of the River Alde, approximately northeast of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the A12 and is served by Saxmundham railway station on the East Suffolk...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, the third son of some nine children of Jerome Bright (1770–1846), a clockmaker, and Susannah Denny, of Alburgh
Alburgh
Alburgh is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated about four miles north-east of Harleston....
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
(who were married on 28 June 1790). They were nonconformist and attended services in the Congregational Chapel at Rendham
Rendham
Rendham is a village and a civil parish on the B1119 road, in the Suffolk Coastal District, in the English county of Suffolk. It is near the small town of Saxmundham and the village of Sweffling. Rendham has a pub and a place of worship.-References:...
, a few miles from Saxmundham.
Henry was apprenticed by his family to a chemist in Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
, but was then transferred to another chemist in Norwich, Paul Squires. Either during, or after, his time with Squires, Bright became a dispenser at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital [7] was founded in 1771 as a charitable institution for the care of "the poor and the sick" and was established by William Fellowes and Benjamin Gooch...
. During his first apprenticeship he is said to have spent all his free time sketching.
His obvious artistic talents were finally recognised and he became a pupil of Alfred Stannard (1806–1889), the younger brother of Joseph Stannard
Joseph Stannard
Joseph Stannard was an English marine and landscape painter, and etcher, a prominent member of the Norwich School of artists , which also included John Crome and John Sell Cotman.-Life:...
. He is also said to have been trained by John Berney Crome
John Berney Crome
John Berney Crome was an English landscape and marine painter associated with the Norwich School of artists. He is sometimes known as "John Bernay Crome" or by the nickname "Young Crome" to distinguish him from his father, "Old Crome".-Life:John Berney was born in Norwich in Norfolk, the eldest...
(1794–1842), who was John Crome
John Crome
John Crome was an English landscape artist of the Romantic era, one of the principal artists of the "Norwich school". He is known as Old Crome to distinguish him from his son, John Berney Crome, who was also a well-known artist.-Life and work:Crome was born in Norwich in Norfolk, the son of a weaver...
's son, and John Sell Cotman
John Sell Cotman
John Sell Cotman was an English marine and landscape painter, etcher, illustrator and author, one of the leading lights of the Norwich school of artists.-Early life and work:...
(1782–1842), both members of the Norwich Society of Artists.
About 1833 Bright returned to Saxmundham to marry Eliza Brightley (d. 1848) who came from the same town. They went on to have 2 sons and 2 daughters, of whom only the daughters are known to have survived into adulthood. The couple moved to Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London in 1836, then to Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
in 1848 (the same year that Eliza died). By 1854, Bright was living in St John's Wood
St John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
, but left London in 1858 for health reasons and settled with his daughters in his brother's house in Saxmundham.
Bright continued to visit London for business reasons and to view exhibitions, and, from 1860, lived at Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
in Surrey for a few years. He also spent some time in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent.
Bright died in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
in 1873. The family vault bears the following inscriptions:
"In Memory of Harriet, daughter of J & S Bright of Saxmundham who departed this life June 15th 1810 in the 16th year of her age also [Catherine] who died 1817 aged 21 years also of Alfred their 2nd Son who died Augt 1821 in the 20th year of his age Also of JEROME BRIGHT who died July 17th 1846 aged 76 years also of SUSANNAH BRIGHT who died Jan. 17th 1847 aged 76 years also of JEROME DENNY BRIGHT who died April 21st 1871 aged 79 years and also JANE FULLER BRIGHT who died July 10th 1876 aged 83 years
NEAR THIS PLACE LIES MARY THE WIFE OF J.D. BRIGHT OF SAXM SHE DIED OCTR 21ST 1825 AGED 29 YEARS"
Works
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
, watercolour, chalk and pencil. During a few of these sketching expeditions he was accompanied by J M W Turner, no less, with whom he had struck up a friendship. Bright's work was also highly regarded by John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
.
Bright's first major exhibition was at the British Institution
British Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
, London in 1836. He became a member of the New Society of Painters in Watercolours
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours , initially called the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, , is one of the societies in the Federation of British Artists, based in the Mall Galleries in London.-History:In 1831 the society was founded as the New Society of Painters in Water...
in 1839, where he exhibited until 1844. Although his obituary in the Art Journal
Art Journal
Art Journal may refer to:* Art Journal , 1941–present, published by College Art Association of America* The Art Journal, 1839–1912, London* Art diary, art journal or visual journal, a daily journal kept by artists...
states that he did not exhibit in oils until the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
exhibition of 1845, this is not certain.
Bright developed friendships with leading artists, including Samuel Prout
Samuel Prout
thumb|right|Samuel Prout painted by [[John Jackson]] in 1831thumb|right|Market Day by Samuel Proutthumb|right|A View in Nuremberg by Samuel Proutthumb|right|Utrecht Town Hall by Samuel Prout in 1841...
, Henry Jutsum
Henry Jutsum
Henry Jutsum , was an English landscape painter.-Life and work:Jutsum was born in London and educated in Devonshire. There he acquired a taste for landscape painting, and on returning to London to further his art studies, he drew from nature, frequently in Kensington Gardens...
, David Cox
David Cox (artist)
- David Cox Junior :David Cox had a son of the same name who followed his calling as a watercolour painter. He was born in Dulwich, but educated in Hereford. He exhibited in London from 1827, although today he is known mainly through association with his father. He died in Streatham on 4 December...
, George Lance
George Lance
George Lance was an English painter of still life and portrait miniatures.-Life and work:Lance was born at the old manor-house in Little Easton in Essex...
, William Collingwood Smith
William Collingwood Smith
William Collingwood Smith , was a noted English watercolourist.William's father worked for the Admiralty and was a musician and amateur artist. William had no formal training in art, but had studied under James Duffield Harding. Initially he painted in oils, but later became a proficient...
, William Leighton Leitch
William Leighton Leitch
William Leighton Leitch was a master Scottish landscape watercolour painter and illustrator. He was Drawing Master to Queen Victoria for 22 years...
and James Duffield Harding
James Duffield Harding
James Duffield Harding , English landscape painter, was the son of an artist, and took to the same vocation at an early age, although he had originally been destined for the law...
. Bright was influenced by Harding’s oil and pencil technique and, like him, he issued a number of drawing-books in the 1840s. His use of chalk and stump
Stump (drawing)
A stump is a cylindrical drawing tool, usually made of soft paper that is tightly wound into a stick and sanded to a point at both ends. It is used by artists to smudge or blend marks made with charcoal, Conté crayon, pencil or other drawing media. By its use, gradations and half tones can be...
on buff paper is similar to that of Robert Leman (1799–1863), while John Middleton strongly influenced his use of watercolour, particularly in 1847.
Bright’s name was also associated with the manufacture of coloured crayons. He established a profitable career teaching the titled and well-to-do, many of whom became his patrons. In 1844 Queen Victoria purchased Bright’s "Entrance to an Old Prussian Town" (London, Royal Collection
Royal Collection
The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...
) from the New Society of Painters in Watercolours. He also received several commissions from the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia.
His professional success extended to producing works jointly with other artists, including John Frederick Herring and William Shayer, where Bright usually contributed the background. Throughout his career in London, Bright maintained links with the Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
artists.
Public collections
There is an extensive collection of Bright's art at the Castle Museum and Art gallery in Norwich. He is also represented at major galleries in London, Boston, San Francisco and elsewhere (see Henry Bright online).External links
- Henry Bright online (ArtCyclopedia)
- A Highland Croft (painting)