Night in paintings
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Abraham Pether
English landscape painter
Abraham Pether (8 October 1752 – 13 April 1812) was an English landscape painter, recognised for his skill in depicting moonlit scenes. He was also a talented musician, inventor, mathematician and philosopher.[1]
Life and work
Abraham was born on 8th October 1752 in St. James', Piccadilly in London. He was the nephew of the eminent engraver William Pether.[1] In childhood Abraham showed a great talent for music, and at the age of nine played the organ in one of the Chichester churches.[1]
Adopting art as his profession, he became a pupil of George Smith,[1][2] whom he greatly surpassed. He painted river and mountain scenery, with classical buildings, in a pleasing though artificial style but his reputation rests on his moonlight subjects, which attracted much admiration, and earned for him the sobriquet of "Moonlight" Pether.[1] He was partial to the combination of moonlight and firelight, as in such subjects as Eruption of Vesuvius, Ship on Fire in a Gale a Abraham Pether was a cousin of famous engraver William Pether. As a child at the age of nine he played the organ in a Chichester church, but he decided to become an artist as his profession, he became a pupil of George Smith, and soon surpassed him. Abraham Pether painted river and mountain scenery, with classical buildings, somewhat resembling that of Richard Wilson, but his reputation rests on his moonlight subjects, which earned him the nickname of "Moonlight Pether”. He was partial to the combination of moonlight and firelight, as in such subjects as the Eruption of Vesuvius, An Iron Foundry by Moonlight, and others, which he painted with a fine harmony of color. Abraham Pether was a major exhibitor from 1773 to 1791 with both the Free Society of Artists and the Incorporated Society of Artists and at the Royal Academy from 1784 to 1811, where he exhibited sixty-one times, getting much praise for his Harvest Moon in 1795. He had extensive knowledge of scientific subjects, and in his moonlight pictures, the astronomic Abraham Pether•
Abraham Pether Biography | Oil Paintings
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Abraham Pether was a landscape artist specialising in moonlight scenery. Born in Chichester, most of his working life was spent in London. He moved with his family to Southampton in c.1805. At least two children were born to Abraham and his wife Elizabeth in the town: Helen (born 6 March 1805 or 1806; christened at All Saints Church 31 May 1812) and Philip (born 6 February 1808; christened at All Saints 31 May 1812). Helen Pether was later to marry Thomas Henry Skelton, lithographer, printer and sometime collaborator with her brother Henry. A lingering disease confined Abraham "under the most calamitous sufferings" for the last three years of his life (The Examiner, 26 April 1812). He died destitute, aged 56 years, on 13 April 1812 leaving a widow and nine children. He was buried at All Saints on 19 April 1812. The Artists' Benevolent Fund controversially refused any assistance (Oxford dictionary of national biography). His last exhibits at the Royal Academy - where he exhibited 61 times between 1784 and 1811 - were of local scenes: 'A view in Hamps
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