Cromer

Born into a Scottish family which had settled in Norwich, James Stark was apprenticed to John Crome for three years before moving to London in 1814. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1817 and quickly became successful, acquiring a number of important patrons. He continued to paint Norfolk subjects throughout his life and exhibited them widely. He exhibited views of Cromer between 1818 and 1853 as far as London, Bristol, Leicester, Worcester, Glasgow and Dublin. This light and airy painting was based on an outdoor watercolour and chalk study and is thought to have been exhibited at the British Institution in 1837.