Robert Trewick Bone (1790-1840).
Robert Trewick Bone was born in London on the 24th of September 1790, the son of the celebrated enamel painter Henry Bone and Elizabeth van der Meulen, a descendant of the distinguished battle painter Adam Frans van der Meulen. Robert was one of ten surviving children as was his younger brother Henry Piece Bone (1779-1855) himself a distinguished English enamel painter, both sons having received artistic instruction from their father.
Robert was a painter of sacred, classical and genre works, and he too was an enamel painter like his father and brother. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1813, and again in 1815, but offered nothing further after 1838. Most of his work was in oil, and while often small to medium in size, have a distinct and elegant style, with recognisable characteristics, particularly the genre scenes. In 1817 he won a prize from the British Institution for his work entitled ‘A lady with her attendants at the bath’ other recognisable compositions are that of the ‘returning soldier’, or the ‘outdoor gathering’, and portraiture. His younger brother Henry Pierce Bone, was also an accomplished artist in oils and exhibited works from an early age, and in 1806 followed his brother in creating works of a classical character, and continued in this vein until 1833 when he returned to the preferred specialist field of enamel painting which he would maintain until his death in 1855.
Both sons of course had to live in the artistic shadow of their father, Henry Bone, R.A. (1755-1834) who was a specialist English enamel painter. His miniature portraits were of the highest quality and by the 1790’s had received Royal patronage and would be reflective in works for George III, George IV, and William IV. In addition to this prestigious Royal approval, on the 15th of April 1811, he was also elected to become a Royal Academician, and continued to produce enamel work, one of which after Titian’s ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ which became the largest enamel painting produced up to that period even larger than his earlier work, ‘A Muse and Cupid’ which he had exhibited in 1789 and had previously held such a recognition.
Photo credit: Galleriedesart.
Robert’s father, Henry, was born in Truro, Cornwall, he was the son of a cabinet maker of some noted skill. The family moved to Plymouth in Devon where Henry was apprenticed in 1771 to William Cookworthy, the founder of the Plymouth porcelain works and the first manufacturer of hard-paste porcelain in England. In 1772 Bone moved with his master to the Bristol China works where he stayed for a further six years. Later in 1778 or thereabouts Henry Bone came to London, he was all but penniless but found work enamelling watches and fans and later water colour portraits. Later, he would become a friend to John Wolcot and a neighbour of portraitist John Opie, and built from what were humble beginnings an impressive portfolio of works which he continued to exhibit. He would later exhibit large portraits including historical works from the period of Elizabeth I, such as the ‘Cavaliers distinguished in the Civil War’ together with a series of portraits of the Russell family.
Robert Trewick Bone followed his father’s distinguished career, be it that neither he nor his younger brother achieved quite the recognised accolades of their father, although Robert’s brother, Henry Pierce Bone, did publish a catalogue of his works in 1846. He was also appointed enamel painter to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen and to Queen Victoria and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As can be seen the ancestral lineage was highly artistic and produced works of fine quality which encompassed several production methods and stylistic categories.
Robert Trewick Bone died from the effects of an accident on the 5th of May 1840.
Galleriedesart is honoured to have a work by Robert Trewick Bone entitled ‘The Picnic’ Oil on Panel, Signed and Dated 1824, which we have provided a link from this piece to the painting.
‘Tangible piece of luminous matter, they confront us with a reconstruction rather than a mere representation of the visible world’.
(Jan Van Eyck).
Photo credit: Galleriedesart
Robert Trewick Bone died in London on the 5th May 1840.
(J). Galleriedesart.com.
Photo Credit: Galleriedesart.