Robert Bevan

Artist

Robert Bevan

Birth

August 5, 1865

Birthplace

England

Death

January 7, 1925

Place of Death

London

Gender

Male

Nationality

Britain

Movement

The Camden Town Group of Painters

Media

painter

Painter of horses, market scenes and landscapes in oils and watercolours. Born in Hove, he studied art with Alfred Pearce, at Westminster School of Art under Fred Brown, 1888, and at the Academie Julian in Paris.

In 1891 he visited Spain and studied Velazquez and Goya and subsequently visited Tangiers with Joseph Crawhall and George Denholm Armour. In 1890-1 and 1893-4 he was at Pont-Aven where on his second visit he met Gauguin and Renoir and saw the work of Cezanne.

On his return to England he worked for a time at Hawkbridge, Exmoor, before settling in London in 1900. He married Stanislawa de Karlowska and from 1899 made regular visits to Poland . His first solo exhibition was at Baillie Gallery in 1905. In 1908 he exhibited at the AAA and his work was seen by Gore and Gilman; as a result he joined the Fitzroy Street Group. He was a founder member of the Camden Town Group 1911, the London Group 1913, and the Cumberland Market Group 1915. From 1910 he exhibited at the NEAC, becoming a member in 1922. He also showed at leading London galleries and at the Post-Impressionist and Futurist Exhibition organised by Frank Rutter. Memorial exhibitions were held at Goupil Gallery and Brighton Art Gallery 1926, and in 1934 Horse Sale at the Barbican was purchased by the Chantrey Bequest.

His innovative early work was influenced by Gauguin in its fluid technique and intensity of colour, e.g. The Courtyard 1903-4, and his work was unusual at the time for its use of pure colour. Between 1906 and 1909 he used a divisionist technique which enabled him to produce a more controlled image whilst retaining the use of bright colour, e.g. the Cab Yard series.

In 1912-13 he painted with Gore and Gilman and his works evolved a flatter technique in which figures and objects were clearly delineated, forming an overall patterning effect with clear, contrasting areas of conceptual colour. The late works also show an increasing angularity of forms.