Norfolk Record Office

Charles H. Harrison (1842-1902) was known for his landscape paintings depicting the Norfolk countryside. Born in Great Yarmouth in a dull neighbourhood, his parents moved to a more comfortable cottage where the first signs of the young prodigy bloomed. Harrison developed an appreciation for all things beautiful, and this was captured in his work. As with many artists then and now however, his skills were overlooked by the education system. He soon gained a job as a decorator where he was mentored by people who also had an eye for detail and wished to express this. As with many young aspiring artists, he declined to follow ‘approved’ models, instead wanting to give his own unique spin. His style is described as bold and distinguished although rather crude and faulty when it came to colour. He was also a perfectionist and ended up destroying a fair amount of his own work, noticing faults which would bypass a less keen eye.

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