25 Facts About Alfred Priest

Alfred Priest was an English painter of landscapes and marine artist, and a member of the Norwich School of painters.

Alfred Priest specialized in marine painting and rural scenes of his native Norfolk, and exhibited at the Society of British Artists and the Royal Academy.

Alfred Priest died in Norwich of tuberculosis at the age of 39, two years after ill health forced him to return home from London.

Alfred Priest is considered to have produced seascapes that have an authenticity not evident in all of his landscapes; his etchings, though of variable quality, are considered by modern art critics to be charming.

Alfred Priest was born in the English city of Norwich on 12 December 1810, the son of John Fox Priest and his wife Elizabeth Neal.

Alfred Priest was baptised at St Gregory's Church, Norwich two days later.

Alfred Priest had at least one artistic sibling, Mary, who outlived her brother by three decades.

John Alfred Priest was a chemist, who ensured his son was educated well enough for the boy to follow in his father's profession.

Alfred Priest returned to Norwich after a period at sea and then briefly worked as an apprentice to a surgeon in the Norfolk town of Downham Market.

Alfred Priest became interested in becoming an artist, and studied etching under Henry Ninham for two years.

Alfred Priest's first known original engraving was Sketch of the opening the Harbour at Lowestoft on the 9th of August 1831.

Alfred Priest was one of several of the Norwich School artists who produced the occasional lithograph.

Alfred Priest was living in London by 1833, when he was residing at 14, Crawford Row, Chelsea.

Alfred Priest specialised in marine painting and is noted for his depictions of water and waves.

Alfred Priest exhibited at the Society of British Artists in 1837 and 1838.

Alfred Priest's pictures were shown for the first time at the Royal Academy in 1833.

Alfred Priest exhibited a total of 89 works between 1833 and 1847.

Alfred Priest painted river scenes so as to demonstrate his ability to depict flowing water.

Alfred Priest is mentioned in the correspondence of the Cotman family and the artist Edward Thomas Daniell.

Alfred Priest died in Norwich of tuberculosis on 9 December 1850, aged 39.

Alfred Priest was buried in the churchyard at Cringleford, outside Norwich.

Alfred Priest was noted by Dickes for his fondness for children and animals, and produced a children's book, The Hare and Three Leverets, in 1848.

Walpole notes that Alfred Priest was "talented to the point of facility".

Alfred Priest considers his best works to be his seascapes, which have an authenticity lacking in some of his landscapes.

Walpole notes that Alfred Priest's landscapes make good use of warm ochres, greens and browns, but that his later paintings can be dull-looking.