The Clare Family
Click on a painting below to start the exhibition
BirdVincent ClareBird's Nest and Flowers on a Mossy Bank Grapes, Plums and Apples Against a Mossy BankVincent ClareGrapes, Plums and Apples Against a Mossy Bank Still Life of Flowers & BirdVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers & Bird's Nest
Still Life of Flowers and BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Still Life of Flowers and BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Still Life of Fruits and a Basket of RaspberriesGeorge ClareStill Life of Fruits and a Basket of Raspberries
Still Life with RosesOliver ClareStill Life with Roses Still Life of Flowers with BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest Still Life of FruitGeorge ClareStill Life of Fruit
Apples, Plums, Raspberries and GrapesGeorge ClareApples, Plums, Raspberries and Grapes Still Life of Flowers, BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers, Bird's Nest and Basket Yellow Apples, Plums and RaspberriesGeorge ClareYellow Apples, Plums and Raspberries
Apple Blossom, Primroses and BirdGeorge ClareApple Blossom, Primroses and Bird's Nest Still Life of Yellow Apples, Plums and RaspberriesGeorge ClareStill Life of Yellow Apples, Plums and Raspberries Flowers and BirdGeorge ClareFlowers and Bird's Nest on a Mossy Bank
Still Life of FruitGeorge ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life of Blossoms and BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Blossoms and Bird's Nest Still Life of Flowers and a BasketGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers and a Basket
Still Life of Fruit and a BasketGeorge ClareStill Life of Fruit and a Basket Still Life of Holly and PrimrosesGeorge ClareStill Life of Holly and Primroses Basket of Primula Flowers & a BirdGeorge ClareBasket of Primula Flowers & a Bird's Nest
May Blossom and a BirdGeorge ClareMay Blossom and a Bird's Nest Still life of FruitGeorge ClareStill life of Fruit BirdGeorge ClareBird's Nest and Two Flower Baskets
Still Life with a BirdGeorge ClareStill Life with a Bird's Nest Still Life of Flowers and BirdGeorge ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Camellias and PrimulasGeorge ClareCamellias and Primulas
Still Life of FruitOliver ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life of BirdOliver ClareStill Life of Bird's Nest and Primroses Still Life of FruitOliver ClareStill Life of Fruit
Potted African Violets and PrimulasOliver ClarePotted African Violets and Primulas Summer DelightsOliver ClareSummer Delights Potted FlowersOliver ClarePotted Flowers
Still Life with BirdOliver ClareStill Life with Bird's Nest Still Life of FruitOliver ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life with Flowers and BirdOliver ClareStill Life with Flowers and Bird's Nest
Grapes, Plum and RaspberriesOliver ClareGrapes, Plum and Raspberries Flowers on a Mossy BankOliver ClareFlowers on a Mossy Bank BirdOliver ClareBird's Nest with Flowers
Still Life of Flowers and BirdOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Flowers and BirdOliver ClareFlowers and Bird's Nest by a Mossy Bank Still Life of Pansies and FlowersOliver ClareStill Life of Pansies and Flowers
Still Life of Primroses and BirdOliver ClareStill Life of Primroses and Bird's Nest Apple Blossom and a BirdOliver ClareApple Blossom and a Bird's Nest Primroses, Apple Blossoms and BirdOliver ClarePrimroses, Apple Blossoms and Bird's Nest
Flowers, a Berry and a BirdOliver ClareFlowers, a Berry and a Bird's Nest Still Life of FlowersOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers Still Life of FlowersOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers
Still Life of Flowers and BirdOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Pansies and LilacsOliver ClarePansies and Lilacs Still Life of FlowersOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers
Lilacs and Apple BlossomOliver ClareLilacs and Apple Blossom Still Life of FlowersOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers Flowers and a BirdOliver ClareFlowers and a Bird's Nest
Primulas and PansiesOliver ClarePrimulas and Pansies Still Life of Flowers and BirdOliver ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Still Life of Fruit Near a Brick WallVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit Near a Brick Wall
Strawberry Basket with WhitecurrantVincent ClareStrawberry Basket with Whitecurrant Gooseberries and Currant in a BasketVincent ClareGooseberries and Currant in a Basket Flowers in a Basket & a BirdVincent ClareFlowers in a Basket & a Bird's Nest
Still Life of Fruit and BasketVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit and Basket Flowes and BirdVincent ClareFlowes and Bird's Nest on a Mossy Bank Still Life with BirdVincent ClareStill Life with Bird's Nest
Still Life of Flowers and BirdVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Still Life of Flowers in a Clay PotVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers in a Clay Pot Still Life of FruitVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit
Still Life of FruitVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life of FlowersVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers Still Life with BirdVincent ClareStill Life with Bird's Nest
Still Life of Flowers with BirdVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest Still Life of FruitVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life of Fruit in a BasketVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit in a Basket
Basket of Flowers and BirdVincent ClareBasket of Flowers and Bird's Nest Still Life of FruitVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit Still Life with BirdVincent ClareStill Life with Bird's Nest
Still Life with BirdVincent ClareStill Life with Bird's Nest Still Life of Fruit in a BasketVincent ClareStill Life of Fruit in a Basket Still Life of Flowers with BirdVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest
Still Life of Flowers and BirdVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Fruit in a BasketVincent ClareFruit in a Basket Grapes in a BasketVincent ClareGrapes in a Basket
Still Life of Flowers in a BasketVincent ClareStill Life of Flowers in a Basket    
 

The Clare family were Victorian artists who specialized in, and became famous for, their highly finished and precisely detailed fruit and flower paintings. The family consisted of George (1835 - 1900) and his three sons David (born 1870), Oliver (1853 - 1927) and Vincent (1855 - 1930) - all, except David, were artists.

George lived and died in Barnet, Hertfordshire - although it is known that he spent a number of years in Birmingham - evidenced by the fact that his address is given as 173, Bristol Street, Birmingham for the paintings he exhibited during the 1860’s. As to George's artistic training, one is not sure, however his delicate stippling technique and choice of subject matter – still-lives painted against a mossy bank - are derived from the oil and watercolorist William Henry Hunt (1790-1864).


George’s works are very precise and detailed, displaying an influence from the Pre-Raphaelite artists who, among other things, were deeply concerned with capturing their subjects in microscopic detail. Among his contemporaries were Thomas Worsey (1829-1875), John Sherrin (1819-1896) and William Hull (1820-1880) – all specializing in finely detailed still-life paintings.

George exhibited his first works in 1864 - exhibiting at the Royal Academy #356 "Plums, etc."; the British Institution - #395 "Camellia, etc." and at the Royal Society of British Artists - #410 "Grapes, plums, etc." and #741 "Camellias &c.". He would continue to exhibit his works at these major halls until 1874.

Oliver lived in Birmingham a local health firm ‘Health Food Stores’ commissioned him to paint still-lives so they could be reproduced on postcard and posters.

Grant M. Waters, in his book Dictionary of British Artists working 1900 - 1950, states that: "He [Oliver] was particularly gifted with animals. He taught his dog to stoke the fire and collect fruit from the greengrocer. On the night he died [(in 1927)], he sang 'Abide with me'. His dog died the same night."

Oliver exhibited many paintings during his lifetime and is most associated with the West Midlands and the North - showing 18 works at the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham; 3 at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and 6 at the Manchester City Art Gallery. During the late 1870's and early 1880's he lived in London and exhibited works at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street.

The youngest artist of the family was Vincent Clare. He was born in 1855 and spent most of his life in London at Fern Cottage, Nursery Road, Southgate (one will often find that Vincent's paintings are signed and inscribed, with his address, on the reverse).

Like his father and brother he became quite popular with his still life and flower paintings. His technique was similar to his father's, however his brush strokes were slightly freer and he would, at times, work with more pastel colors.

It appears that although Vincent lived in London, he never exhibited there. The only recorded exhibitions were in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool where he displayed three works. It is believed that he did exhibit with his brother Oliver in the Midlands, but there are no records to substantiate this.

 

 

Reference:

Johnson, J., The Royal Society of British Artists: 1824 - 1893, Antique Collectors Club, 1975, pgs. 87-88.

Johnson, J. & Greutzner, A., The Dictionary of British Artists: 1880-1940

Antique Collectors Club, 1976, pg. 107

Maas, Jeremy, Victorian Painters, Barrie & Rockleff, The Cresset Press

London, 1969, pg. 173

Mitchell, Peter, Great Flower Painters: Four Centuries of Floral Art, George Rainbird, Ltd., London, 1973, pg. 89-90 (ill).

Pavière, Sydney H., A Dictionary of Flower, Fruit, and Still Life Painters, F. Lewis, Ltd., England, 1964, pg. 29 (ill.)

Waters, Grant M., Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900 - 1950, Eastbourne Fine Art Publishers, England, 1975, pgs. 65-66.

Wood, Christopher, The Dictionary of Victorian Painters, Antique Collectors Club, England, 1995, Vol. 1, pg. 100; Vol. 2, pg. 158 Illustration.

 
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