An ordinary man and his extraordinary work

      An army colonel, a modest man and an artist. But most importantly, a notable figure in Brighton and Hove in 19th century. That was Robert Charles Goff, whose etchings are now on display at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

      Pieces at the exhibition entitled ‘Robert Goff: An Etcher in the Wake of Whistler’ are mainly etchings (a method of a printmaking) from Goff’s travels. He depicts famous places around Brighton and countryside images, where he plays with the mood of the viewers with an incredible bravura. Visitors also have the chance to explore his The Thames Set images of bridges which are a great shift from his naturalistic works.

      After discovering Goff’s work in a local antique shop, art historian Alexandra Loske decided to curate his exposition.

       Alexandra said: “The museum displays exquisite works not shown since the 1920s. Even though most of them are etchings, he did also great oil and water-coloured paintings. However, these are hard to display for a long period of time as they are light sensitive.”

       Goff was a retired army colonel who travelled the world and then etched many of the interesting places he visited, including Japan, Italy and Egypt. He often portrayed Brighton’s West Pier and the seafront, as he lived in Hove for thirty-three years.

         “Goff was very wealthy and well travelled, but apart from other eccentric artists, was also a very modest man. He is not as well known nowadays as he was in the 20th century,” said Alexandra.

        Alexandra is currently working on her doctoral research on the décor of Brighton Pavilion at University of Sussex. Her main interest is late eighteenth and early nineteenth century European art.

      Goff was influenced by James Whistler and interestingly, never received any formal training. Goff and Whistler were working contemporaneously while Whistler popularised etching. He is a recognized painter and a graphic artist best known for his painting Whistler’s Mother, depicting motherhood.

        Goff’s etchings will be on display at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery until 29 April 2012 and the entrance is free of charge.

Published at: The Argus