MADNESS, POVERTY AND GENIUS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF 19TH C ROMANTIC PAINTERS
This exhibition explores the life and times of the 19th century romantic painters Benjamin Haydon, John Martin, Samuel Palmer and James Smetham, whose personal stories have intrigued and surprised researchers for generations. The artists were best known to their contemporaries for their pre-Raphaelite and romantic works, but their personal and family lives were beset with great turbulence, tragedy and insecurity. This exhibition explores how Madness, Poverty and Genius affected the lives of these artists and draws on their experiences to greater understand life in 19th Century Britain.
Madness
We uncover the mental health issues affecting the artists Benjamin Haydon and John Smetham, complete mental breakdowns eventually destroying their lives. We also identify how some of the innovative ideas of John Martin and unconventional activities of Samuel Palmer led them to be ridiculed by their peers.
Poverty
We expose the financial hardship felt by the aspiring artists, resulting in bankruptcy for John Martin and imprisonment for debt for Benjamin Haydon. We show how the competitive world of art led to mixed fortunes, with success driven by the approval of the influential and the patronage of the wealthy.
Genius
We discover the creative ingenuity of the artists and their impact then and now, some receiving critical acclaim from their contemporaries others being posthumously recognised. We identify their other interests in poetry, literature, writing, and friendships with influential writers and artists of the time.
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