Robert Ladbrooke

Robert Ladbrooke
1810 portrait of Ladbrooke
Born	1768 Norwich, England, Kingdom of Great Britain
Died	11 October 1842 Norwich, England, United Kingdom
Nationality	English
Occupation	Painter
Known for	Norwich School

Robert Ladbrooke (1768 – 11 October 1842) was an English landscape painter who, along with John Crome, was a founder of the Norwich School of painters.

Ladbrooke was born in a humble position at Norwich in 1768. He was apprenticed when very young to an artist and printer named White, and for some years worked as a journeyman printer. While employed he made the acquaintance of John Crome, who was the same age as him, working for a house and sign-painter, and having similar tastes. The two youths became friends, living together, and devoting all their spare time to sketching and copying. They each married sisters of the name of Berney, and for two years they worked in partnership, Ladbrooke painting portraits and Crome landscapes which they sold for very small sums. Subsequently, Ladbrooke turned to landscape painting, in which he was successful.

Crome and Ladbrooke took a leading part in the establishment of the Norwich Society of Artists in 1803. Ladbrooke contributed fourteen works to its first exhibition in 1805. In 1808, when Crome became president, Ladbrooke was elected vice-president.

In 1816 Ladbrooke, along with Joseph Stannard, who was earlier his pupil, along with John Thirtle, and a few other members, having ineffectually urged a modification of some of the rules, seceded from the society, and started a rival exhibition, but this proved a failure and was abandoned after three years. Between 1804 and 1815 Ladbrooke was an occasional exhibitor at the Royal Academy, and until 1822 at the British Institution. He engaged successfully in teaching, and was able to retire many years before his death. Ladbrooke died at his house on Scoles' Green, Norwich, on 11 October 1842.

Ladbrooke painted chiefly of views of Norfolk scenery; but his reputation has never been more than local. He published aquatints of two of his pictures, "A View of the Fellmongers on the River near Bishop's Bridge" and "A View of Norwich Castle." His "Views of the Churches of Norfolk," a series of over 650 lithographic plates were published in five volumes in 1843.