Richard Parkes Bonington

Richard Parkes Bonington packed an astonishing amount into a life that lasted only 25 years. Born in England, he grew up in France, and in Paris in the 1820s he shared a studio for a time with the young Eugene Delacroix, the coming force of French Romantic painting. The two influenced each other, and Bonington brought something distinctly English to the exchange, the fresh, transparent handling of watercolour.

He was best at coastal scenes and glinting light, wide Normandy beaches under big skies, still canals, quick shimmering views that look caught on the spot. His small historical costume pieces were admired too, and French collectors bought him eagerly.

Tuberculosis cut it all short. Bonington died in London in 1828, still in his mid-twenties, having painted for barely a decade. Delacroix, who outlived him by 35 years, kept praising the lightness of touch his lost friend had shown him.