Martin Snape was an English painter who worked in a variety of media (oils

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...

, watercolours

Watercolor painting

Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...

, engraving

Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...

, etc.). He concentrated mainly on topographical

Topography

Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...

 subjects including landscapes from the Meon Valley

Meon Valley

Meon Valley may refer to:*The valley of the River Meon, Hampshire, England*Meon Valley , constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom's Parliament...

, and shore and maritime scenes around Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it is a ria: formerly it was the valley of a stream flowing from Portsdown into the Solent River. The city of Portsmouth lies to the east on Portsea Island, and Gosport to the west on the mainland...

 and his home town of Gosport. He exhibited at 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...

 between 1874 and 1901.

Living in Spring Garden Lane, near Gosport railway station

Gosport railway station

Gosport railway station was a terminus station designed by William Tite and opened to passenger and freight trains in 1841 by the London and South Western Railway . It was closed in 1953 to passenger trains, and in 1969 to the remaining freight services...

, Snape was associated with the Gosport area all his life. In 1922 he was commissioned to design the seal for the newly-created Borough of Gosport (though the council logo is now a stylised modern version, the original design is still used by the Gosport Borough Football Club

Gosport Borough F.C.

Gosport Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Gosport, England currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West...

). In 1923 he was chosen to give the speech of welcome to the 91st Annual conference of the British Medical Association

British Medical Association

The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...

 which was being held in Portsmouth.

He died in 1930 but his most famous painting, Forton Creek

Forton Creek

Forton Lake. A locality in the town of Gosport, Hampshire. It is within the grounds of St Vincent College.The locality is the subject of a painting by Martin Snape which hangs in the town hall....

, one of a series, still hangs in the town hall. The new premises of Gosport Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureau

A Citizens Advice Bureau is one of a network of independent charities throughout the UK that give free, confidential information and advice to help people with their money, legal, consumer and other problems....

has been named Martin Snape House in his memory.

External links

• Snape on-line, searchable database of works, Hampshire County Council