This atmospheric early 19th-century landscape by British artist John Berney Crome (1794-1842) depicts a quiet moment at dusk on the outskirts of Hingham, Norfolk.
A small group of travellers pause beside a glowing smithy, their horses resting as the last light of day recedes. The forge’s warm orange light spills gently into the surrounding darkness, answering the cool blues and greens of the evening sky. The moon hangs low, its pale reflection caught in the water to the left, while the road carries the eye inward, guiding the viewer into the scene.
Crome’s handling is subtle and assured. The composition is carefully balanced between light and shadow, with the illuminated smithy forming a focal point without overwhelming the surrounding landscape. Trees are massed with sensitivity, their forms softened by the fading light, while the figures remain secondary to the setting itself. Nothing is exaggerated. The effect is one of quiet observation rather than drama, a landscape shaped by use, labour, and daily passage.
The subject is significant. The smithy at Hingham was a location painted previously by Crome’s father, ‘Old’ John Crome, one of the founders of the Norwich School. John Berney Crome’s return to this same site suggests continuity rather than imitation: a shared respect for place and the dignity of rural labour. The blacksmith’s forge is treated not as a picturesque motif but as a working presence, embedded naturally within the rhythm of the landscape.
John Berney Crome was deeply rooted in the traditions of the Norwich School, which looked to the Dutch Old Masters for inspiration. Like his father, he favoured direct observation over invention, returning repeatedly to familiar Norfolk villages, roads, and working buildings. His work often displays a quieter temperament than that of the old Crome, with a particular sensitivity to light, atmosphere, and transitional moments.
Within his oeuvre, scenes such as Wayfarers at the Smithy reflect his mature approach: landscapes shaped by lived experience rather than idealisation. The figures here do not perform for the viewer; they pass through the land as it already exists.
John Berney Crome’s paintings are held in several public collections, including the Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, where the Norwich School is represented in depth. His work remains valued for its close connection to the Norfolk landscape.
The painting is signed lower left and is held in a 19th-century giltwood frame with scrolling foliage, acanthus leaf corners, and a centred husk ornament.
Learn more about John Berney Crome in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 45” x 30” / 115cm x 76cm
Year of creation: c. 1830
Labels & Inscriptions: Label referring to The Boydell Galleries.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Minor undulation to a small area towards the upper middle. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear and some discolouration to the gilt slip.
Artist’s auction maximum: £26,000 for ‘A View Of Rouen Looking From The Base Of Mount St. Catherine’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby’s, British Paintings 1500-1850, London, 14 July 1999 (lot 27).
Our reference: BRV2234
