Thomas William Bowler
Encyclopedia
Thomas William Bowler the son of William Bowler and his wife Sarah Butterfield, a self-taught landscape painter
, lived for some years at the Cape of Good Hope
, and published a series of views of Cape Town
and its neighbourhood. He is notable for having depicted some 35 years of the Cape's history in landscapes and seascapes.
Thomas Bowler landed at the Cape on 5 January 1834 as a servant to Thomas Maclear
, the new Astronomer Royal, whose service he left in July 1835 and took employment with Capt. Richard Wolfe, Commandant of Robben Island
, and remaining until the end of 1838.
Bowler then started offering his services in Cape Town as a 'drawing master and landscape painter'. He took up a position as drawing master at the Diocesan College
and from 1842 at the South African College
. This was the same year that he published his first lithograph of 'The Landing of Troops at Port Natal being covered by H.M.S. Southampton'. This was followed by 'Four Views of Cape Town' in 1844. He also planned an 1845 portfolio of prints 'Five Views of Natal', but failed to find sufficient subscribers. These originals were returned to South Africa in 1960 by Lord de Saumarez
.
In 1850 he published 'The Anti-convict Agitation', a print of the large gathering held in Cape Town on 4 July 1849, objecting to the landing of convicts from the penal transportation
ship Neptune
.
In May 1854 he returned to England where he received tuition from the artist James Duffield Harding
, and was back in Cape Town in March 1855. He painted two historically important pictures of the start of the 1859 Cape Town to Wellington
railway line, the first in South Africa; and another two of the opening in November 1863. Three of these paintings were published as engravings in the Illustrated London News
.
During his time in South Africa, Bowler travelled widely in the Cape Colony
, and visited Knysna
and Port Elizabeth along the Garden Route
. His journeys produced a large number of paintings and sketches such as 'The Kaffir Wars and the British Settlers in South Africa' (1865), and the 'Pictorial album of Cape Town, with views of Simonstown, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown' (1866).
Also in 1866 was Bowler's voyage to Mauritius
. He planned to publish a portfolio of 20 lithographs of views on the island, but support was not forthcoming. Seven of the original watercolours are in South Africa, while at least three are in Mauritius.
Bowler played a leading role in the founding and legalising of Art Unions at the Cape. Being of a quarrelsome nature, his frequent disagreements were regularly aired in the local press.
In August 1868 he travelled to England via Mauritius and Egypt to arrange the production of his portfolio 'Twenty Views of Mauritius', but died soon after arrival. Bowler produced some 540 watercolours, oil paintings and sketches of which 64 were published as lithographs. Two of his works were published as engravings, not counting his illustrations for books and magazines. His works are held in the African Homes Trust Collection, the Cape Archives, and the Mendelssohn Collection in the Library of Parliament.
His personal life was also eventful, having been married twice - to Jane Hawthorne and Maria Jolly, the marriages producing ten children.
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
, lived for some years at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, and published a series of views of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and its neighbourhood. He is notable for having depicted some 35 years of the Cape's history in landscapes and seascapes.
Thomas Bowler landed at the Cape on 5 January 1834 as a servant to Thomas Maclear
Thomas Maclear
Sir Thomas Maclear was an Irish-born South African astronomer who became Her Majesty's astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope....
, the new Astronomer Royal, whose service he left in July 1835 and took employment with Capt. Richard Wolfe, Commandant of Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
, and remaining until the end of 1838.
Bowler then started offering his services in Cape Town as a 'drawing master and landscape painter'. He took up a position as drawing master at the Diocesan College
Diocesan College
The Diocesan College, or Bishops as it is more commonly known, is an independent, all-boys school situated in the suburb of Rondebosch in Cape Town, South Africa...
and from 1842 at the South African College
South African College
The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town and the South African College Schools .-History:...
. This was the same year that he published his first lithograph of 'The Landing of Troops at Port Natal being covered by H.M.S. Southampton'. This was followed by 'Four Views of Cape Town' in 1844. He also planned an 1845 portfolio of prints 'Five Views of Natal', but failed to find sufficient subscribers. These originals were returned to South Africa in 1960 by Lord de Saumarez
Baron de Saumarez
Baron de Saumarez, in the Island of Guernsey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 15 September 1831 for the prominent naval commander Admiral Sir James Saumarez, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Guernsey, on 13 June 1801. Lord de Saumarez was...
.
In 1850 he published 'The Anti-convict Agitation', a print of the large gathering held in Cape Town on 4 July 1849, objecting to the landing of convicts from the penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
ship Neptune
Neptune (ship)
Neptune was one of the notorious Second Fleet ships to Port Jackson. Built in the River Thames in 1779, at 809 tons she was the largest ship of the fleet. In company with Surprize and Scarborough she sailed from England with 421 male and 78 female convicts on 19 January 1790. Her master was...
.
In May 1854 he returned to England where he received tuition from the artist 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...
, and was back in Cape Town in March 1855. He painted two historically important pictures of the start of the 1859 Cape Town to Wellington
Wellington, Western Cape
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...
railway line, the first in South Africa; and another two of the opening in November 1863. Three of these paintings were published as engravings in the Illustrated London News
Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
.
During his time in South Africa, Bowler travelled widely in the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, and visited Knysna
Knysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
and Port Elizabeth along the Garden Route
Garden Route
The Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...
. His journeys produced a large number of paintings and sketches such as 'The Kaffir Wars and the British Settlers in South Africa' (1865), and the 'Pictorial album of Cape Town, with views of Simonstown, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown' (1866).
Also in 1866 was Bowler's voyage to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. He planned to publish a portfolio of 20 lithographs of views on the island, but support was not forthcoming. Seven of the original watercolours are in South Africa, while at least three are in Mauritius.
Bowler played a leading role in the founding and legalising of Art Unions at the Cape. Being of a quarrelsome nature, his frequent disagreements were regularly aired in the local press.
In August 1868 he travelled to England via Mauritius and Egypt to arrange the production of his portfolio 'Twenty Views of Mauritius', but died soon after arrival. Bowler produced some 540 watercolours, oil paintings and sketches of which 64 were published as lithographs. Two of his works were published as engravings, not counting his illustrations for books and magazines. His works are held in the African Homes Trust Collection, the Cape Archives, and the Mendelssohn Collection in the Library of Parliament.
His personal life was also eventful, having been married twice - to Jane Hawthorne and Maria Jolly, the marriages producing ten children.