John Berney Crome

John Berney Crome (1 December 1794 – 15 September 1842)[1][2] 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

Sailing Boats and Barges on a Dutch(?) Estuary by John Berney Crome (Yale Center for British Art).

Crome was born in Norwich, Norfolk, the eldest son (of two) of eight children of John Crome, a distinguished landscape artist and founder of the Norwich Society of Artists. He attended Norwich School until he was 18 years of age (where a friend and fellow pupil was George Vincent).[3] At the same time, with ambitions of becoming an artist, he accompanied his father on sketching expeditions.

Later, Crome assisted his father in teaching, and was appointed landscape painter to the Duke of Sussex. He became a member of the Norwich Society of Artists and exhibited many of his pictures there between 1806 and 1830. He was appointed Vice-President of the society in 1818 and subsequently President on several occasions.

On the death of his father in April 1821, Crome continued his father's art teaching practice and occupied the family house in Gildengate Street, Norwich, to which he added a studio. In conjunction with John Sell Cotman, he took a lively interest in the re-opening of the Norwich Society of Artists in 1828 (which had closed in 1825 after demolition of its old premises). Between 1811-43, he had many works exhibited at the Royal Academy, British Institution and Society of British Artists in London. He made many trips to the continent, drawing and painting in France, Holland, Belgium and Italy.

As a result of his extravagant habits, Crome was made bankrupt in 1831, when the contents of his father's house were sold, and many of "Old" Crome's paintings and his own works were disposed of. He moved to Great Yarmouth in 1835 where he continued to teach drawing until his death in September 1842.

Crome was twice married, leaving a widow but no children.

Work

John Berney worked in oils, watercolours and pencil, painting coastal and rural scenes, both at home and abroad. His work shows the influence of his father, and he painted many moonlight effects. Many of his works can be found at the Castle Museum in Norwich.

Notes

  1. ↑  Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1888). "Crome, John Bernay". Dictionary of National Biography 13. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 143–4.
  2. ↑ Holme Geoffrey (Ed.). The Norwich School (The Studio Ltd., 1920) pp. 27-8.
  3. ↑ Cundall, H. M. (1920). Holme, Geoffrey C., ed. The Norwich School. London, Paris, New York: The Studio Ltd. p. 27. ND471.N6 H6.

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