Samuel Palmer established his career by exhibiting Turner-inspired works at the Royal Academy at the age of fourteen. A central figure in the development of British Romanticism, he became known for his intense landscape paintings and later technical proficiency in etching. His life spanned seventy-six years, marked by fluctuating financial stability and a profound evolution in artistic focus.
Formative Years and the Shoreham Period
Born in Newington, London, in 1805, Palmer received limited formal schooling, briefly attending Merchant Taylors' School. Following his mother's death in 1818, his career path shifted through his association with William Blake and the Ancients, a collective that included George Richmond and Edward Calvert. Between 1826 and 1835, he resided in Shoreham, Kent, in a cottage dubbed Rat Abbey. During this period, he produced landscapes of the Darent Valley, often utilizing sepia tones to evoke a distinctively rural atmosphere.
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In 1835, Palmer returned to London and married Hannah Linnell, the daughter of painter John Linnell. Facing economic pressure, he transitioned toward more conventional subjects to appeal to public taste, abandoning the mysticism of his earlier years. A two-year trip to Italy in 1837 provided him with a new palette and numerous sketches, though he struggled to secure patrons upon his return. For over two decades, he supported himself primarily as a private drawing master.
Professional Recognition and Final Years
Palmer achieved greater stability following his move to Furze Hill House in Redhill, Surrey, in 1862. He became a full member of the Water Colour Society in 1854, providing a consistent venue for his displays. His later output included significant series of watercolours based on Milton's poems L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, alongside etchings inspired by Virgil. He died in 1881 and is buried at St Mary's in Reigate.
Posthumous Legacy
The preservation of Palmer's work suffered significantly in 1909 when his son, Alfred Herbert Palmer, burned a large quantity of his father's sketchbooks and original pieces. Institutional interest revived in 1926 through a Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition. By the mid-20th century, critical reappraisal led to a dramatic increase in the market value of his Shoreham-era drawings, elevating his position in the history of British landscape art.
Fast facts
- Born: 1805, Newington
- Died: 1881, Redhill
- Education: Merchant Taylors' School
- Primary Mediums: Painting, etching, watercolour
- Key Movement: The Ancients
- Notable Works: The Lonely Tower, L'Allegro series
Questions readers ask
What were the Ancients?
The Ancients were a group of artists, including Samuel Palmer, George Richmond, and Edward Calvert, who were influenced by the work of William Blake.
Why were many of his works destroyed?
In 1909, his son Alfred Herbert Palmer burned a large quantity of his father's work, including notebooks and sketches, claiming he wanted to protect them from a humiliating fate.
Achievements
- Movement: Romanticism and Ancients
