The Penlee House Museum in Cornwall, UK, will host starting on the 15th of March 2008 and ending on the 7th of June 2008, an exhibition dedicated to the presence of maritime landscapes in 19th century British art, focusing especially on the works and life of James Clarke Hook, considered to be the pioneer of this genre in the UK. After a succesful presentation at the prestigious Tate Britain, the show is presented at the Penlee House, showcasing the works of many of the best names in this genre, including Frank Bramley, Stanhope Forbes, James Clarke Hook, Colin Hunter, Charles Napier Hemy and John Brett.
Starting with the first decades of the 19th century, several British painters discovered the advantages of working on the coast and especially he infinite source of inspiration that was the sea, with it's neverending and varied movements. A new genre would take over British arts, marine artworks, ranging from landscapes to Romantic or Realist depictions of everyday scenes in the fishermen's villages. The first artist who discovered and practically set the genre was James Clarke Hook (1819-1907), who after the 1850's lived, travelled and worked on the coast, at a time when there was literally no tourism and no distractions, so painters could retreat here. He would soon be followed by a great number of British artists, who produced several masterpieces of the genre.
2007-08-14
