John Crome (22 December 1768 - 22 April 1821), British collector and painter, also known as Old Crome, he was also a teacher and etcher. Founder of the Norwich Society of artists.
Born in Norwich, at first he worked under Francis Wilder as a sign and coach painter. He befriended Thomas Harvey, a collector and amateur painter, who helped him train and discover other artists, mainly Dutch ones, who will be the main influence in Crome's style. Following Harvey's steps, Crome also became a collector.
Largely a self-taught artist, Crome was also a prolific one, producing more than 300 oil landscapes in his time. Between 1807 - 1818 he sent more than a dozen works to the Royal Academy, with moderate success, but also had several exhibitions in Norwich. Crome played a key-role in reviving the etching in England, making a large number of plates after 1809.
