Richard Parkes Bonington (25 October 1802[1] – 23 September 1828) was an English Romanticlandscape painter, who moved to France at the age of 14 and can also be considered as a French artist, and an intermediary bringing aspects of English style to France.[2] Becoming, after his early death, one of the most influential British artists of his time, the facility of his style was inspired by the old masters, yet was entirely modern in its application. His landscapes were mostly of coastal scenes, with a low horizon and large sky, showing a brilliant handling of light and atmosphere. He also painted small historical cabinet paintings in a freely-handled version of the troubadour style.
Richard Parkes Bonington was born in the town of Arnold, four miles from Nottingham.[1] His father also known as Richard was successively a gaoler, a drawing master and lace-maker, and his mother a teacher. Bonington learned watercolour painting from his father and exhibited paintings at the Liverpool Academy at the age of eleven.
In 1817, Bonington's family moved to Calais, France, where his father had set up a lace factory. At this time, Bonington started taking lessons from the painter François Louis Thomas Francia,[3] who, having recently returned from England, where he had been deeply influenced by the work of Thomas Girtin,[4] taught him the English watercolour technique. In 1818, the Bonington family moved to Paris to open a lace shop. There he met and became friends with Eugène Delacroix. He worked for a time producing copies of Dutch and Flemish landscapes in the Louvre. In 1820, he started attending the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied under Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros.[3]
It was around this time that Bonington started going on sketching tours in the suburbs of Paris and the surrounding countryside. His first paintings were exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1822. He also began to work in oils and lithography, illustrating Baron Taylor's Voyages pittoresques dans l'ancienne France and his own architectural series Restes et Fragmens. In 1824, he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon along with John Constable and Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding, and spent most of the year painting coastal views in Dunkirk.[3]
In 1825 he met Delacroix on a visit with Alexandre-Marie Colin to London, and they sketched together there, and shared a studio for some months in Paris on their return; Delacroix influenced him in turning to historical painting. He also developed a technique mixing watercolour with gouache and gum, achieving an effect close to oil painting. In 1826 he visited northern Italy,[5] staying in Venice for a month,[6] and London again in 1827–8. In late 1828 his tuberculosis worsened and his parents sent him back to London for treatment. Bonington died of tuberculosis on 23 September 1828 at 29 Tottenham Street in London, aged 25.[5] He was buried in the graveyard of St James's Chapel Pentonville and in 1837 his remains were transferred to Kensal Green Cemetery to be re-interred with his parents.
Delacroix paid tribute to Bonington's work in a letter to Théophile Thoré in 1861. It reads, in part:
When I met him for the first time, I too was very young and was making studies in the Louvre: this was around 1816 or 1817... Already in this genre (watercolor), which was an English novelty at that time, he had an astonishing ability... To my mind, one can find in other modern artists qualities of strength and of precision in rendering that are superior to those in Bonington's pictures, but no one in this modern school, and perhaps even before, has possessed that lightness of touch which, especially in watercolours, makes his works a type of diamond which flatters and ravishes the eye, independently of any subject and any imitation.[7]
To Laurence Binyon however, "Bonington's extraordinary technical gift was also his enemy. There is none of the interest of struggle in his painting."[6]
Church of St. Wulfran, Abbeville - North Door of the West Front (1824)
Beyond his watercolors, Bonington is known for his drawings with graphite pencil, particularly his elaborate cityscapes.
Bonington had a number of close followers, such as Roqueplan and Isabey in France, and Thomas Shotter Boys, James Holland, William Callow and John Scarlett Davis in England. In addition, there were many copies and forgeries of his work made in the period immediately after his death.[8]
A statue to him was erected outside the Nottingham School of Art by Watson Fothergill, and a theatre[9] and primary school in his home town of Arnold are named after him. In addition, the house in which he was born (79 High Street, Arnold) is now named 'Bonington House' and is Grade II listed.[10] The Wallace Collection has an especially large group of 35 works, representing both his landscapes and history paintings.
^Noon, Patrick: Richard Parkes Bonington "On the Pleasure of Painting", page 12. Yale University Press, 1991.
^Reynolds, Graham (1998) [1971 (as A Concise History of Watercolour))]. Watercolours. World of Art. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 108.
^"Arnold". Gedling Borough Council website. Gedling Borough Council. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
^Gedling Borough Council Planning and Environment Department Local Plans Section (6 December 2005). "Listed Buildings" (PDF). Gedling Borough Council. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
Sources
Binyon, Laurence (1933). English Watercolours. London: A&C Black.
Cambridge, M (2002). Richard Parkes Bonington: Young and Romantic. Nottingham: Nottingham Castle ISBN0-905634-58-6 (Catalogue of exhibition at Nottingham Castle Museum in 2002; contains an account of the life and works that includes many references.)
Ingamells, John, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Pictures, Vol I, British, German, Italian, Spanish, Wallace Collection, 1985, ISBN0-900785-16-0
Novotny, Fritz (1971). Painting and Sculpture in Europe, 1780-1880. Pelican History of Art (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. ISBN0-14-056120-X.
Further reading
Noon, P (2009). Richard Parkes Bonington : the complete paintings. New Haven, Yale University Press. ISBN0-300-13421-5
richard, parkes, bonington, october, 1802, september, 1828, english, romantic, landscape, painter, moved, france, also, considered, french, artist, intermediary, bringing, aspects, english, style, france, becoming, after, early, death, most, influential, briti. Richard Parkes Bonington 25 October 1802 1 23 September 1828 was an English Romantic landscape painter who moved to France at the age of 14 and can also be considered as a French artist and an intermediary bringing aspects of English style to France 2 Becoming after his early death one of the most influential British artists of his time the facility of his style was inspired by the old masters yet was entirely modern in its application His landscapes were mostly of coastal scenes with a low horizon and large sky showing a brilliant handling of light and atmosphere He also painted small historical cabinet paintings in a freely handled version of the troubadour style Richard Parkes BoningtonPortrait of Richard Parkes Bonington by Margaret Sarah CarpenterBorn 1802 10 25 25 October 1802Arnold Nottinghamshire EnglandDied23 September 1828 1828 09 23 aged 25 London EnglandNationalityBritish FrenchEducationEcole des Beaux Arts ParisMovementOrientalist Romanticism Contents 1 Life and work 2 Reputation 3 Gallery 4 References and sources 4 1 References 4 2 Sources 5 Further reading 6 See also 7 External linksLife and work Edit Francois I and Marguerite de Navarre 45 7 by 34 5 cm based on the discovery of a scratched inscription on a window at the Chateau de Chambord Richard Parkes Bonington was born in the town of Arnold four miles from Nottingham 1 His father also known as Richard was successively a gaoler a drawing master and lace maker and his mother a teacher Bonington learned watercolour painting from his father and exhibited paintings at the Liverpool Academy at the age of eleven In 1817 Bonington s family moved to Calais France where his father had set up a lace factory At this time Bonington started taking lessons from the painter Francois Louis Thomas Francia 3 who having recently returned from England where he had been deeply influenced by the work of Thomas Girtin 4 taught him the English watercolour technique In 1818 the Bonington family moved to Paris to open a lace shop There he met and became friends with Eugene Delacroix He worked for a time producing copies of Dutch and Flemish landscapes in the Louvre In 1820 he started attending the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris where he studied under Antoine Jean Baron Gros 3 It was around this time that Bonington started going on sketching tours in the suburbs of Paris and the surrounding countryside His first paintings were exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1822 He also began to work in oils and lithography illustrating Baron Taylor s Voyages pittoresques dans l ancienne France and his own architectural series Restes et Fragmens In 1824 he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon along with John Constable and Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding and spent most of the year painting coastal views in Dunkirk 3 In 1825 he met Delacroix on a visit with Alexandre Marie Colin to London and they sketched together there and shared a studio for some months in Paris on their return Delacroix influenced him in turning to historical painting He also developed a technique mixing watercolour with gouache and gum achieving an effect close to oil painting In 1826 he visited northern Italy 5 staying in Venice for a month 6 and London again in 1827 8 In late 1828 his tuberculosis worsened and his parents sent him back to London for treatment Bonington died of tuberculosis on 23 September 1828 at 29 Tottenham Street in London aged 25 5 He was buried in the graveyard of St James s Chapel Pentonville and in 1837 his remains were transferred to Kensal Green Cemetery to be re interred with his parents Reputation Edit Landscape near Quilleboeuf c 1824 1825 Yale Center for British Art Delacroix paid tribute to Bonington s work in a letter to Theophile Thore in 1861 It reads in part When I met him for the first time I too was very young and was making studies in the Louvre this was around 1816 or 1817 Already in this genre watercolor which was an English novelty at that time he had an astonishing ability To my mind one can find in other modern artists qualities of strength and of precision in rendering that are superior to those in Bonington s pictures but no one in this modern school and perhaps even before has possessed that lightness of touch which especially in watercolours makes his works a type of diamond which flatters and ravishes the eye independently of any subject and any imitation 7 To Laurence Binyon however Bonington s extraordinary technical gift was also his enemy There is none of the interest of struggle in his painting 6 Church of St Wulfran Abbeville North Door of the West Front 1824 Beyond his watercolors Bonington is known for his drawings with graphite pencil particularly his elaborate cityscapes Bonington had a number of close followers such as Roqueplan and Isabey in France and Thomas Shotter Boys James Holland William Callow and John Scarlett Davis in England In addition there were many copies and forgeries of his work made in the period immediately after his death 8 A statue to him was erected outside the Nottingham School of Art by Watson Fothergill and a theatre 9 and primary school in his home town of Arnold are named after him In addition the house in which he was born 79 High Street Arnold is now named Bonington House and is Grade II listed 10 The Wallace Collection has an especially large group of 35 works representing both his landscapes and history paintings Gallery Edit Rouen Normandy c 1823 View of the Lagoon Near Venice 1827 Louvre Venice Grand Canal Charles V visits Francois Ier after the Battle of Pavia c 1827References and sources EditReferences Edit a b Arnold in Chambers s Encyclopaedia London George Newnes 1961 Vol 1 p 633 Novotny 171 a b c Ingamells 19 Binyon pp 166 7 a b Ingamells 19 20 a b Binyon pp 169 Noon Patrick Richard Parkes Bonington On the Pleasure of Painting page 12 Yale University Press 1991 Reynolds Graham 1998 1971 as A Concise History of Watercolour Watercolours World of Art London Thames and Hudson p 108 Arnold Gedling Borough Council website Gedling Borough Council Retrieved 21 May 2014 Gedling Borough Council Planning and Environment Department Local Plans Section 6 December 2005 Listed Buildings PDF Gedling Borough Council Retrieved 21 May 2014 Sources Edit Binyon Laurence 1933 English Watercolours London A amp C Black Cambridge M 2002 Richard Parkes Bonington Young and Romantic Nottingham Nottingham Castle ISBN 0 905634 58 6 Catalogue of exhibition at Nottingham Castle Museum in 2002 contains an account of the life and works that includes many references Ingamells John The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Pictures Vol I British German Italian Spanish Wallace Collection 1985 ISBN 0 900785 16 0 Novotny Fritz 1971 Painting and Sculpture in Europe 1780 1880 Pelican History of Art 2nd ed Yale University Press ISBN 0 14 056120 X Further reading EditNoon P 2009 Richard Parkes Bonington the complete paintings New Haven Yale University Press ISBN 0 300 13421 5See also EditList of Orientalist artists OrientalismExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richard Parkes Bonington 81 artworks by or after Richard Parkes Bonington at the Art UK site Handprint com Biography by Bruce MacEvoy Retrieved 17 November 2004 Works by Bonington in the Tate Gallery Works by Bonington in the Wallace Collection Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Richard Parkes Bonington amp oldid 1087011470, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
