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Frederick
Lee Briddell (1831 – 1863)
“Continental
Landscape”
Watercolour
over pencil
From
one of the Artist’s sketch books dated 1855 to 1856
4”
x 6 ¼” (100mm x 160mm)
Overall
framed size 12 5/8” x 14 ½” (320mm x 370mm) IMAGE IMAGE
Frederick Lee Bridell’s was born in
Southampton in 1831. His early drawings were noticed by Henry Rose when
visiting Bridell’s father who was a carpenter. He introduced him to Edwin
Holder, an art dealer to whom he became apprenticed and lived with Holder’s
family in Bray, Berkshire. His first painting entered at the Royal
Academy was “A Bit in Berkshire” in 1851. In 1853 he went to the
Continent and after a short period in Paris where he copied works in the Louvre,
he established himself in Munich where he became influenced by the Dutch School
copying works by Cuyp, Van der Velde and Berchem. Whilst travelling his
paintings became inspired by the landscape of the Tyrol returning to England in
1851 where he completed paintings from his sketches and had many commissions
from wealthy clients. He began to exhibit at the Royal Academy, the
British Institute, the Suffolk Street Galleries and the Liverpool
Academy. Two years later he acquired a patron, the shipping magnate James
Wolff who established a “Bridell Gallery” at Bevois Mount, his home where from
time to time he allowed visitors to view the paintings and Bridell was able to
set up a studio in Highfield Lodge. Freed from financial constraints, in
1858 he travelled to Italy and set up a studio in Rome in 1859. There he
met and married the artist Eliza Fox who was well know to influential writers
and thinkers of the time. Robert Browning gave her away at the ceremony
and the newly weds had their wedding dinner at Elizabeth & Robert
Browning’s apartment in Bacca d Leone. Two days later they were painting
in their respective studios. Bridell then embarked on his most prolific
period in Italy but overwork took a toll on his health and he contracted
tuberculosis, painting for long hours, ignoring the illness that was overtaking
him. He returned to England in 1863 and died in August of that year in
Kensington. He was 32. The quality of his work suggests that, had
he lived, his reputation would have stood ever higher throughout Europe.
His painting “The Woods of Sweet Chestnut above Barenna, Lake Como” painted in
1860 is in the Tate Gallery. Other examples of his work are in the
collection of Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and a
number of his paintings are at Southampton City Art Gallery. A book
on Frederick Lee Bridell by C Aitchison Hull was published in 2007.
