Robert Ladbrooke (1768 – 11 October 1842) was an English
landscape painter
Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...
who, along with
John Crome
John Crome (22 December 176822 April 1821), once known as Old Crome to distinguish him from his artist son John Berney Crome, was an English Landscape painting, landscape painter of the Romanticism, Romantic era, one of the principal artists ...
, founded the
Norwich School of painters. His sons Henry Ladbrooke and
John Berney Ladbrooke were also associated with the Norwich School.
Early life
Ladbrooke was born in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
in 1768. He was apprenticed when young to an artist and
printer
Printer may refer to:
Technology
* Printer (publishing), a person
* Printer (computing), a hardware device
* Optical printer for motion picture films
People
* Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist
* James Printer (1640 ...
named White, and for some years worked as a
journeyman
A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...
printer. While employed there he made the acquaintance of the artist
John Crome
John Crome (22 December 176822 April 1821), once known as Old Crome to distinguish him from his artist son John Berney Crome, was an English Landscape painting, landscape painter of the Romanticism, Romantic era, one of the principal artists ...
, who was the same age as him, then working for a house and sign-painter. Having similar tastes, the two became friends. They lived together and devoted all their spare time to sketching and copying. They married two sisters, and for two years they worked in partnership.
Artistic career
Ladbrooke painted portraits and Crome depicted landscapes, which they both sold for very small sums. To earn more money, Ladbrooke turned from portraiture to
landscape painting
Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...
, in which he was more successful.
In 1803 Ladbrooke and Crome formed the Norwich Society of Artists, a group that also included
Robert Dixon,
Charles Hodgson,
Daniel Coppin
Daniel Coppin (1771–1822) was an accomplished amateur English Landscape painting, painter of landscapes and a collector of art. He was one of the founding members of the Norwich School of painters, and one of three generations of artists from ...
,
James Stark and
George Vincent. Their first exhibition, in 1805, marked the start of the Norwich School of painters, the first art movement created outside London. Ladbrooke contributed fourteen works to its first exhibition in 1805. In 1808, when Crome became president, Ladbrooke was elected as vice-president. In 1816, Ladbrooke, along with
Joseph Stannard,
John Thirtle and five other members of the Norfolk Society, having ineffectually urged a modification of some of the rules, seceded from the society, but this venture ultimately failed and was abandoned after three years. Between 1804 and 1815 Ladbrooke was an occasional exhibitor at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
, and until 1822 he exhibited works at the
British Institution
The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it ...
. He was a successful teacher, and was able to enjoy a long and comfortable retirement.
Ladbrooke painted chiefly of views of
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
scenery; but his reputation has never been more than local to this part of
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. He published
aquatint
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. It has also been used ...
s of two of his pictures, ''A View of the Fellmongers on the River near Bishop's Bridge'' and ''A View of Norwich Castle''. His ''Views of the Churches of Norfolk'', a series of over 650
lithographic
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...
plates, were published in five volumes in 1843.
Ladbrooke died at his house on Scoles' Green, Norwich, on 11 October 1842.
Family
Ladbrooke had four sons, all of whom were artists to varying degrees, with Henry and
John Berney Ladbrooke achieving the most success.
His second son Henry was born at Norwich on 20 April 1800. He wished to enter the
Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
, but respected his father's wish for him to become a landscape painter. He acquired a good reputation, especially for his moonlight scenes, and he exhibited occasionally at the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Gallery. He died on 18 November 1870.
John Berney Ladbrooke, Robert Ladbrooke's third son, was born in 1803. He became a pupil of John Crome, who was his uncle by marriage, and whose manner he followed. John Berney Ladbrooke excelled in the representation of woodland scenery. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1821 and 1822, and frequently at the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Gallery up to 1873. He died at Mousehold, Norwich, on 11 July 1879.
Gallery
File:A View of Norwich Castle and Cathedral, Norfolk.jpg
File:Beach Scene, Mundesley, Norfolk by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg
File:Beeston Regis from the 'Roman Camp' by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg
File:Wroxham Regatta by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg
File:Menai Suspension Bridge by Robert Ladbrooke.jpg
References
;Attribution
External links
Works by Robert Ladbrookean
Henry Ladbrookein the Norfolk Museums Collections
Robert Ladbrooke at artnet.comHenry Ladbrooke at artnet.comJohn Berney Ladbrooke at artnet.com''John Berney Ladbrooke''- Suffolk Artists website
*Ladbrooke, Robert
''Views of the churches of Norfolk'', volume 1(Free Ebook on Google)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ladbrooke, Robert
1768 births
1842 deaths
18th-century English painters
English male painters
19th-century English painters
English landscape painters
Artists from Norwich
19th-century English male artists
18th-century English male artists