Clarkson Stanfield: England’s Cherished Scene Painter

Nicknamed the ‘leader of our English Realists’ by 19th-century art critic John Ruskin, Clarkson Stanfield’s dramatic landscapes gained widespread admiration.

Stanfield's seascapes caught the attention of British Monarch King William IV. "Mount St Michael, Cornwall," 1830, by Clarkson Frederick Stanfield. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Victoria. Public Domain

While thumbing through an old volume of Charles Dickens stories, my attention was caught by an exquisitely rendered illustration: the woodcut of a belfry and doorway from the “The Chimes.” At the bottom of the illustration was the tiny signature by C. Stanfield R. A.

“The Old Church” by Clarkson Stanfield from “The Chimes,” 1845, by Charles Dickens. Internet Archive. Public Domain

As it turns out, Clarkson Frederick Stanfield (1793–1867) was a prolific artist of the Romantic period. His career somewhat paralleled that of American luminist painter Frederic Church. However, Stanfield’s renderings of architecture, churning seas, and nautical details put him in a class by himself.

His life journey to become an artist is a story all its own.

A Nautical Draughtsman

A portrait of Clarkson Stanfield, 1829, by John Simpson. Oil on canvas. Royal Museums Greenwich, London. Public Domain

Stanfield was born on Dec. 3, 1793, in the English port town of Sunderland. He was the son of famous author, actor, and former seaman James Field Stanfield. His father named him Clarkson after the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, whom he knew personally. His mother was an artist and the young Stanfield had talent at an early age. Unfortunately, his mother died when he was 8 years old.

Early in his career, Stanfield apprenticed as a coach decorator. Drawn to the sea, he became a sailor and later enrolled in the English navy. He might have lived out the remainder of his life as a mariner but was discharged from service after suffering an injury in 1814. During his voyages, he developed considerable skill as a draughtsman.

After returning to London, Stanfield became a scenery painter at London’s Royalty Theatre. He soon moved to Lambeth’s Coburg Theatre, where he met the Scottish painter David Roberts. In 1823, Stanfield became a scene painter at the Drury Lane Theatre Royal in London. Roberts soon joined Stanfield at Drury Lane. They partnered up in the 1820s and 1830s, producing eight large-scale (moving) dioramas and panoramas of battle scenes and European travelogues. These huge canvases were mounted on rollers and presented to audiences across Europe—complete with dramatic lighting and sound effects. The Venetian panorama was 300 feet long, 20 feet tall, and unrolled like a giant scroll for 20 minutes. Illuminated by gaslights, the diorama included singing gondoliers.

Stanfield and Roberts rapidly rose to fame with their moving panoramas, which were later incorporated into England’s traditional Christmas pantomimes. Dubbed the “Father of Christmas” in England, Charles Dickens’s productions became popular in London, and he and Stanfield became friends. In 1834, Stanfield quit scene painting, with exceptions made for two friends and patrons: Dickens and stage actor William Charles Macready.

A portrait of Charles Dickens, 1842, by Francis Alexander. Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Public Domain

Dramatic Seascapes

While making a name for himself as England’s prolific scene painter, Stanfield developed his skills as a fine artist, perfecting his works on canvas. He exhibited his art at the Royal Academy and helped found the Royal Society of British Artists—serving as its president in 1829. A few years later, he was elected as a member of the Royal Academy and became a full academician in 1835.

"Mount St Michael, Cornwall," 1830, by Clarkson Frederick Stanfield. Oil on canvas; 60 5/16 inches by 96 inches. National Gallery of Victoria. Public Domain

Stanfield’s 1831 painting “Mount St Michael, Cornwall” caught King William IV’s attention. The British monarch commissioned him to paint two works: “Opening of New London Bridge” (1831–32) and “Portsmouth Harbor” (1831). In these, Stanfield mastered landscape painting with his command of color and composition.

He was certainly an accomplished marine painter, but his works were not limited to seascapes. The former sailor painted landscapes of the Rhine River, Dutch windmills, Pic du Midi d’Ossau (mountain) in the French Pyrenees, and countless rocky coasts. One of the most representative collections of his works is found at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. He was, in some respects, a 19th-century incarnation of Renaissance painters. Indeed, great artists like Leonardo da Vinci were often employed to create dramatic scenes for their patrons’ entertainment.

Owned by family friend Thomas Clarkson, Stanfield's watercolor combined visual drama and knowledge of sea and ships. "Fire at Sea," 1820–46, by Clarkson Stanfield. Watercolor and gauche. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain