George Robert Bonfield
American (1802-1898)
Marine painter George Robert Bonfield (1802-1898) was born in Portsmouth, England and later immigrated to the United States with his family. After settling in Philadelphia, Bonfield commenced an apprenticeship in stone masonry, also his fatherÃs profession, and simultaneously evinced an interest and aptitude in the drawing of ships and seascapes. When his stone carving career led him to work on the New Jersey estate of Napoleon BonaparteÃs brother Joseph, Bonfield availed himself of the opportunity to execute copies of the extensive collection of Old Master drawings and paintings housed in the estate. Following the exhibition of one of his paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1820, Bonfield enrolled at the Academy under the instruction of Thomas Vest. In subsequent years, Bonfield enjoyed a reputation as a popular and acclaimed marine painter as he exhibited extensively at venues including the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Art-Union. He earned an honorary membership in the influential National Academy and today his works are included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia.