Synopses & Reviews
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (17331794) recorded, in watercolor and pen and ink, great historical events as well as everyday English life in the 18th century. Born near Bern, Switzerland, Grimm moved to London in 1768 and began an unrivaled career documenting the landscape and antiquities of Britain, and gaining a reputation for accuracy and speed. His extensive travels resulted in more than 2,600 drawings and watercolors, ranging from pure landscape to highly valuable scenes of country life of the day. Grimm also published witty political and social caricatures. This new book, published to accompany an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum, Bern, opens a window onto 18th-century England.
Synopsis
Probably no artist was more prolific among 18th-century topographers than Grimm in recording the landscapes and historic buildings of Great Britain, and none played a more important role. Born near Bern in Switzerland, Samuel Hieronymus Grimm studied under various teachers before deciding to move to London in 1768, where he remained for the rest of his life. A talented watercolor artist, he earned an impressive reputation among his clients as a quick, accurate painter. The most important of his patrons was Sir Richard Kaye, who retained Grimm's services for nearly two decades and during this period accumulated over 2,600 drawings and watercolors. Grimm was a tireless traveler, ranging far and wide over Britain and creating works of various kinds, from simple landscapes to highly detailed and now invaluable scenes of daily rural life. While in London, Grimm also revealed an unexpectedly sharp, witty side to his talent, publishing a series of political caricatures and drawings satirizing the society of the time and its fashions. Some of Grimm's most conspicuous commissions came from the Society of Antiquaries, which was keen to build a visual record of historical monuments at risk of being destroyed. In spite of the considerable success he enjoyed during his lifetime, his reputation quickly faded thereafter and the exhibition held in the Kunstmuseum in Bern in 2014 was the first show devoted entirely to his work. The accompanying monograph by Dr. William Hauptman restores Grimm to his rightful place in the history of British painting.
Synopsis
Accompanying the first exhibition devoted entirely to Grimm's work and held in the Kunstmuseum in Bern in 2014, this monograph restores Grimm to his rightful place in history of British painting.
About the Author
William Hauptman has written several books on 18th- and 19th-century painting and organized dozens of exhibitions in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe.