Fruit composition on a mossy bank. O/ W 22 x 28 cm

Artist bio

Born in 1853, Oliver was the son of the renowned still life artist George Clare and his wife Lizzie, formerly Elizabeth Bowen. The Clare family members, George, Oliver and Vincent were Victorian artists who specialized in, and were well known for, their highly finished and precisely detailed still life fruit and flower paintings. George and Lizzie’s third son David didn’t paint so little is known about him.

George Clare, who painted most of his life in London, would certainly have known William Henry Hunt (1790-1864), often referred to as “Birds Nest” Hunt, who was a major inspiration for George’s subject matter along with William Dexter (1818-1860). However, it was Oliver who took up the mantle of still life painting and made it a “celebration” of nature’s bounty and the beauty of life in the English hedgerow to the exclusion of all else.

Oliver spent most of his artistic life in Birmingham. He was born at 185 Edward Road, Springhill, Birmingham in 1850. Although there are no records indicating where he received his training, one can be quite certain that most, if not all, was from his father. Their stippling technique and choice of subject matter are almost identical. His amazing and unique technique and finish are superlative. Capturing the bloom of wild yeast on plum and grape skins down to the very subtle drops of water found on fruit from the early morning dew. His brush strokes are almost invisible and the urge to wipe the dewdrops off the fruit is almost irresistible. His subjects are often set against mossy backgrounds producing a more informal composition than many of his contemporary artists. Clare is recorded as enlisted in The 4th Kings Own at the age of 18.

At the age of 36 Oliver decided to emigrate to America and took passage on the SS Roman, sailing from Liverpool, an immigrant ship bound for New York. He is clearly listed as passenger 266, artist bound for New York. Oliver lived and worked in America for four years, finally deciding to return to his native homeland where he once again settled in Birmingham where he remained for the rest of his life.

All 12 of the postcards from the two sets of cards commissioned by the Pitman Health Food Co.

He married his wife Emma and they both lived at 11 Wills Street, Lozells, Birmingham where he died on 13th April 1927 from throat cancer.

While Oliver lived in Birmingham he was commissioned by a local firm “Pitman Health Food Co” to paint still life fruit to be reproduced on postcards and posters to promote healthy eating. There are two known series of six cards in each pack, twelve in total.

Oliver Clare exhibited many paintings throughout his lifetime and is most often associated with the Artists of Birmingham. He exhibited eighteen works at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, three at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and six at the Manchester City Art Gallery. Throughout the late 1870’s and early 1880’s he lived in London where he exhibited several works at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street.