THE CLARE FAMILY   The Clare family were Victorian artists who specialized in, and became famous for, their highly finished and precisely detailed fruit and flower paintings. The family consisted of George (1835 - 1900) and his three sons David (born 1870), Oliver (1853 - 1927) and Vincent (1855 - 1930) - all, except David, were artists. George lived and died in Barnet, Hertfordshire - although it is known that he spent a number of years in Birmingham - evidenced by the fact that his address is given as 173, Bristol Street, Birmingham for the paintings he exhibited during the 1860’s. As to George's artistic training, one is not sure, however his delicate stippling technique and choice of subject matter – still-lives painted against a mossy bank - are derived from the oil and watercolorist William Henry Hunt (1790-1864). George’s works are very precise and detailed, displaying an influence from the Pre-Raphaelite artists who, among other things, were deeply concerned with capturing their subjects in microscopic detail. Among his contemporaries were Thomas Worsey (1829-1875), John Sherrin (1819-1896) and William Hull (1820-1880) – all specializing in finely detailed still-life paintings. George exhibited his first works in 1864 - exhibiting at the Royal Academy #356 "Plums, etc."; the British Institution - #395 "Camellia, etc." and at the Royal Society of British Artists - #410 "Grapes, plums, etc." and #741 "Camellias &c.". He would continue to exhibit his works at these major halls until 1874. Two of George's sons - Oliver and Vincent - were also artists and became quite famous for their fruit and flower paintings. Oliver was born in 1853 and was to spend most of his artistic life in Birmingham. Though there are no records as to where he received his training, one can be quite certain that most, if not all, of it was from his father - his stippling technique and choice of subject matter are almost identical. While Oliver lived in Birmingham a local health firm ‘Health Food Stores’ commissioned him to paint still-lives so they could be reproduced on postcard and posters. Grant M. Waters, in his book Dictionary of British Artists working 1900 - 1950, states that: "He [Oliver] was particularly gifted with animals. He taught his dog to stoke the fire and collect fruit from the greengrocer. On the night he died [(in 1927)], he sang 'Abide with me'. His dog died the same night." Oliver exhibited many paintings during his lifetime and is most associated with the West Midlands and the North - showing 18 works at the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham; 3 at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and 6 at the Manchester City Art Gallery. During the late 1870's and early 1880's he lived in London and exhibited works at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street. The youngest artist of the family was Vincent Clare. He was born in1855 and spent most of his life in London at Fern Cottage, Nursery Road, Southgate (one will often find that Vincent's paintings are signed and inscribed, with his address, on the reverse). Like his father and brother he became quite popular with his still life and flower paintings. His technique was similar to his father's, however his brush strokes were slightly freer and he would, at times, work with more pastel colors. It appears that although Vincent lived in London, he never exhibited there. The only recorded exhibitions were in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool where he displayed three works. It is believed that he did exhibit with his brother Oliver in the Midlands, but there are no records to substantiate this.    Reference: Johnson, J., The Royal Society of British Artists: 1824 - 1893, Antique Collectors Club, 1975, pgs. 87-88. Johnson, J. & Greutzner, A., The Dictionary of British Artists: 1880-1940 Antique Collectors Club, 1976, pg. 107 Maas, Jeremy, Victorian Painters, Barrie & Rockleff, The Cresset Press London, 1969, pg. 173 Mitchell, Peter, Great Flower Painters: Four Centuries of Floral Art, George Rainbird, Ltd., London, 1973, pg. 89-90 (ill). Pavière, Sydney H., A Dictionary of Flower, Fruit, and Still Life Painters, F. Lewis, Ltd., England, 1964, pg. 29 (ill.) Waters, Grant M., Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900 - 1950, Eastbourne Fine Art Publishers, England, 1975, pgs. 65-66. Wood, Christopher, The Dictionary of Victorian Painters, Antique Collectors Club, England, 1995, Vol. 1, pg. 100; Vol. 2, pg. 158 Illustration.   This essay is copyrighted by Rehs Galleries, Inc. and may not be reproduced or transmitted without written permission from Rehs Galleries, Inc.   Please remember that all works illustrated below have been SOLD. Click on any image to enlarge it and see more information about the work George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 18 x 22 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches Signed George Clare (1830 - 1900) Apples, Plums, Raspberries and Grapes Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Flowers, Bird's Nest and Basket Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Yellow Apples, Plums and Raspberries Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed George Clare (1830 - 1900) Apple Blossom, Primroses and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 10 x 12 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Yellow Apples, Plums and Raspberries Oil on canvas 17 3/4 x 23 1/2 inches Signed and dated 1869   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Flowers and Bird's Nest on a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed One of a pair George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed One of a pair   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Blossoms and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Flowers and a Basket Oil on canvas 14 x 21 inches Signed One of a pair George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Fruit and a Basket Oil on canvas 14 x 20 inches Signed One of a pair   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Holly and Primroses Oil on canvas 10 x 14 inches Signed and dated 1865   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Basket of Primula Flowers & a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 12 x 18 inches Signed George Clare (1830 - 1900) May Blossom and a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 12 x 18 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still life of Fruit Oil on canvas 12 x 18 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Bird's Nest and Two Flower Baskets Oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches Signed George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life with a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed   George Clare (1830 - 1900) Camellias and Primulas Oil on canvas 11 x 13 1/2 inches Signed Painted c.1865   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 16 x 12 inches Signed and dated 89 One of a pair Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Bird's Nest and Primroses Oil on canvas 16 x 12 inches Signed and dated 89 One of a pair   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 12 x 16 inches Signed and dated 89   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Potted African Violets and Primulas Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches Signed Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Summer Delights Oil on canvas 18 x 14 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Potted Flowers Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 11 inches Signed One of a pair Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 9 x 11 inches Signed One of a pair   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life with Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Grapes, Plum and Raspberries Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Flowers on a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas 9 x 7 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Bird's Nest with Flowers Oil on canvas 5 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Flowers and Bird's Nest by a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Pansies and Flowers Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed and dated '98   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Primroses and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed One of a pair. Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Apple Blossom and a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed One of a pair   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Primroses, Apple Blossoms and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Flowers, a Berry and a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 10 x 8 inches Signed and dated '90 Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers Oil on canvas 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches Signed and dated '95   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers Oil on canvas 9 x 7 inches Signed and dated '96   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 10 x 8 inches Signed Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Pansies and Lilacs Oil on canvas 10 x 8 inches Signed and dated '96   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Lilacs and Apple Blossom Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed and dated '92 Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed and dated '90   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Flowers and a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 7 x 9 inches Signed   Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Primulas and Pansies Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed and dated '93 Oliver Clare (1853 - 1927) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed and dated '93   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruits Oil on canvas 12 x 18 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Strawberry Basket with Whitecurrant Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed One of a pair Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Gooseberries and Currant in a Basket Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed One of a pair   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Flowers in a Basket & a Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 20 x 24 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit and Basket Oil on canvas 14 x 17 inches Signed and dated 1892; inscribed on the reverse Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Flowes and Bird's Nest on a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas 7 x 9 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 10 x 14 inches Signed Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers in a Clay Pot Oil on canvas 10 x 14 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 8 x 12 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed One of a pair Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers Oil on canvas 6 x 9 inches Signed One of a pair   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 12 x 10 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 7 x 14 inches Signed One of a pair Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 7 x 14 inches Signed One of a pair   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit in a Basket Oil on canvas 20 x 30 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Basket of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 7 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers and Bird's Nest Oil on board 12 x 9 inches Signed Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Fruit in a Basket Oil on board 12 x 9 inches Signed   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 12 x 17 inches Signed; also signed, inscribed and dated '98 on the reverse   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Flowers with Bird's Nest Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed One of a pair Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Still Life of Fruit in a Basket Oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches Signed One of a pair   Vincent Clare (1855 - 1930) Grapes in a Basket Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Signed