The Pembroke Coast Near St. Davids

EDMUND JOHN NIEMANN SNR (1813-1876)

Edmund John Niemann was born in Islington, London and had a German father, John Diedrich Niemann who worked at Lloyd’s in the City of London. As a young man Edmund was employed as a clerk at Lloyd’s from 1826-1839.
After 1840 he devoted himself to painting and settled at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire where he worked incessantly out of doors.
He became a painter of landscapes, angling subjects and marines. He especially enjoyed painting the scenery of the Thames, and the River Swale near Richmond in Yorkshire and Wales, and other parts of the British Isles.
He exhibited his work from 1844 to 1872, 29 works at the Royal Academy, 45 at the British Institute, 30 at Suffolk Street; and also at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Royal Institute, the Glasgow Institute and the Paris Salon.
In 1848 Neimann returned to London for the foundation of the ‘Free Exhibition’ held in the Chinese Gallery at Hyde Park Corner. Later in 1850 this became the Portland Gallery, Regent Street, and Niemann became its secretary.
His paintings were often very large and illustrate every phase of nature, with great versatility and natural colours. He was very prolific and highly successful. John Ruskin considered Niemann to be, ‘the heir to Constable as the master of English landscape painting’.

He died at Brixton Hill, Surrey on 15 April 1876.

Niemann’s son Edward H. Niemann (flourished 1863 -1867) was also a successful painter and closely followed his father’s style.

Works in Museums & Galleries: Blackburn; Bristol; Glasgow; Victoria & Albert; Liverpool; Manchester; Nottingham; Sheffield; Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

(Framed Size)