Artist: Reverend Laurence George Bomford.

 

Dates: (1847-1926).



Reverend Laurence George Bomford was an English painter, and clergyman.

He was born at Tyne Hallon on 6th August 1847. He was the son of Samuel Bomford and Francis Jane Winter and was originally educated at Cheltenham College. He married Anne Goold Green the daughter of the respected British landscape artist and astronomer Nathaniel Everett Green in 1874. His earlier work was heavily influenced by Green with light colouring and rather free brushwork. Bomford, at the age of 36 decided to become a clergyman and entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge University from where he gained a degree in Theology. After years spent as curate of Saint Andrew-the- less in Cambridge and various appointments at Trowbridge he finally settled at Colney Heath in Hertfordshire where he remained Vicar for 20 years.
Laurence Bomford was an accomplished artist, actively painting between 1873 and 1920. His works are mainly in watercolour and often plein-air sketches with only a small number of oil paintings being known. His landscape paintings are characterised by delicate brushwork in a semi-impressionist fashion with excellent perspective and composition, and good contrasts between light and shade. Several still life studies of flowers are known and the odd seascape is also recorded, again primarily in watercolour. He travelled widely to paint, with works depicting locations throughout England and Wales, with a particular love for South Devon, and North Wales which are represented in many of his works. There exists a smaller number of pieces from Scotland, and from an overseas excursion to Switzerland and northern Italy in 1906. Bomford was a respected artist during his lifetime. His pictures were widely appreciated, being offered for auction, for example, in Melbourne, Australia in 1876. He was exhibited at the Christchurch Exhibition, New Zealand, alongside other English and Italian artists in 1882. In recent times his works have occasionally come onto the open market, being offered by major auction houses in Europe and America.

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Title: Impressionist Church & River Landscape.

 

Medium: Watercolour.

 

Date: Circa 1895.

 

Signed: Unsigned.

 

Dimensions: Painting Size Approx: 182mm x 75mm.

 

Condition: Very good.

 

Notes: A beautiful watercolour painting by a very good artist. Unframed.