Salisbury Cathedral in Landscape

One of Salisbury’s most celebrated sights is Salisbury Cathedral, a 13th century Anglican Cathedral that is credited as an eminent example of Early English Gothic architecture. It was built over the course of thirty years, affording the structure uniformity in style - this stylistic cohesion is very unusual compared to other cathedrals around England. The Cathedral’s spire is the tallest in England, and due to the flat plains surrounding Salisbury, the spire is a highly visible landmark. It is no wonder, therefore, that Brown depicts it so often in his landscapes, although he cleverly keeps the focus on the natural world, as if it is dwarfing the landmark gothic structure.

Eric Brown

Brown was born in 1894 in Salisbury. His father was William Lewis Brown (1864-1922), who became a “portrait painter and artist” around 1906, having previously run a builders’ merchant business.

Eric had an older sister, Dorothy, also an artist (especially watercolours) and a younger brother, Bernard, who became a successful architect in Salisbury.He also had a daughter, Zoë Napier Brown 1926-2011, who was a good painter though she worked in the field of social services.

Eric Brown always painted in oil views of his local Salisbury; the works have a innocence about them that captures the English countryside perfectly.