Editing John Crome (section)

==Biography==
John Crome was born on 22 December 1768 in [[Norwich]],{{sfn|Stephen|1888|pp=140{{ndash}}143}} and baptised on 25 December at [[St George's Church, Tombland, Norwich]].{{sfn|Mottram|1931|p=25}} He was the son of John Crome, a [[Weaver (occupation)|weaver]] (who is also described as either an innkeeper or a lodger at a Norwich [[inn]]),{{sfn|Binyon|1897|pp=7{{ndash}}8}} and his wife Elizabeth.{{sfn|Mottram|1931|p=30}} After a period working as an errand boy for a doctor (from the age of 12), he was apprenticed to Francis Whisler, a house, coach and [[Sign painting|sign painter]].{{sfn|Goldberg|1978|p=38}}{{refn|1=Cundall gives his master's name as 'Whistler'.{{sfn|Cundall|1920|p=8}}|group=note}} At about this time he formed a friendship with [[Robert Ladbrooke]], then an [[apprentice]] printer. They shared a room and went on sketching trips in the fields and lanes around Norwich.{{sfn|Stephen|1888|pp=140{{ndash}}143}} They occasionally bought [[Printing|prints]] to copy.

Crome and Ladbrooke sold some of their work to a local printseller, Smith and Jaggars,{{sfn| Cundall|1920|page=9}} and it was probably through the print-seller that Crome met Thomas Harvey of [[Old Catton]], who helped him set to up as a drawing teacher.{{sfn|Stephen|1888|pp=140{{ndash}}143}} Crome had access to Harvey's art collection, which allowed him to develop his skills by copying the works of [[Thomas Gainsborough]] and [[Meindert Hobbema]]. Crome received further instruction and encouragement from the artist [[John Opie]], and the English portraitist [[William Beechey]], whose house in London he frequently visited.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=483{{ndash}}484}}

In October 1792 Crome married Phoebe Berney.{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=10}} They produced two daughters and six sons, two of whom, [[John Berney Crome]] and [[William Henry Crome]] became landscape painters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Henry Crome {{!}} 74 Artworks at Auction {{!}} MutualArt |url=https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/William-Henry-Crome/6006B08B81457680 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=mutualart.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1803 Crome and Ladbrooke formed the Norwich Society of Artists, a group that also included [[Robert Dixon (artist)|Robert Dixon]], [[Charles Hodgson (artist)|Charles Hodgson]], [[Daniel Coppin]], [[James Stark (painter)|James Stark]] and [[George Vincent (painter)|George Vincent]]. Their first exhibition was in 1805; it marked the start of the [[Norwich School of painters]], the first art movement created outside London.{{sfn|Walpole|1997|p=19}} Crome contributed 22 works to its first [[Art exhibition|exhibition]], held in 1805. He served as President of the Society several times and held the position at the time of his death.{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=11}} With the exception of the times when he made short visits to London, he had little or no communication with the great artists of his own time.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=483{{ndash}}484}} He exhibited 13 works at the [[Royal Academy]] between 1806 and 1818. He visited Paris in 1814, following the defeat of [[Napoleon]], and later exhibited views of Paris, [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]], and [[Ostend]]. Most of his subjects were of scenes in [[Norfolk]].{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=11}}

Crome was drawing master at [[Norwich School]] for many years. Several members of the Norwich School art movement were educated at the school and were taught by him,<ref>Cundall 1920, pp. 1, 17, 25, 26, 27, 31</ref> including Stark and [[Edward Thomas Daniell]].{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=32}} He also taught privately, his pupils including members of the influential [[Gurney family (Norwich)|Gurney family]], whom he stayed with whilst in the [[Lake District]] in 1802.{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=9}}

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 | caption2 = Crome's grave and memorial tablet in [[St George's Church, Colegate, Norwich|St. George's Colegate, Norwich]]}}
He died at his house in Gildengate, Norwich, on 22 April 1821, and was buried in [[St George's Church, Colegate, Norwich|St. George's Church]]. On his death-bed he is said to have gasped, "Oh Hobbema, my dear Hobbema, how I have loved you".{{sfn|Stephen|1888|pp=140{{ndash}}143}} A memorial exhibition of more than 100 of his works was held in November that year by the Norwich Society of Artists.{{sfn|Cundall|1920|page=9}}

[[Crome's Broad]] and nearby Crome's Farm in [[The Broads National Park]] are named after him.  The area surrounding [[Heartsease Estate, Norwich|Heartsease]] is covered by the Crome ward and division on [[Norwich City Council]] and [[Norfolk County Council]] respectively.

An incident in Crome's life was the subject of the one-act [[opera]] ''Twice in a Blue Moon'' by [[Phyllis Tate]], to a [[libretto]] by [[Christopher Hassall]]: it was first performed in 1969. In the story Crome and his wife split one of his paintings in two to sell each half at the Norwich Fair.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farnham Festival |title=Twice in a Blue Moon |url=https://www.phyllis-tate.com/assets/twice-in-a-blue-moon.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703122227/http://www.phyllis-tate.com/assets/twice-in-a-blue-moon.pdf |archive-date=2018-07-03 |url-status=live |website=Phyllis Tate |access-date=17 June 2021 |date=1969}}</ref>