Samuel John Lamorna Birch, RA, RWS (1869-1955)

Samuel John Lamorna Birch, RA, RWS (1869-1955)
The Cottage in the Hollow, Lamorna Valley
Signed S. J. Lamorna Birch. (lower left), inscribed No.2 The Cottage in the Hollow Lamorna Valley (verso)
Watercolour
35 x 52cm

Provenance:
The Collection of the Late Austin Wormleighton (1937-2019) (lots 1-34)

Exhibited:
Penzance, Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Entranced by a Special Place (June-September 2018)
Penzance, Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Lamorna Birch: A Painter Laureate (October 2025-January 2026)

Literature:
Austin Wormleighton, A Painter Laureate: Lamorna Birch and his Circle (Whitefox Publishing, 2025), illustrated p.162

This picture shows the simple, rustic nature of Lamorna Valley in west Cornwall at start of the twentieth century. Birch's home overlooking Lamorna Cove was about half a mile from the setting of this painting. At the time, he was the only artist living in the valley and some years were to pass before the establishment of the Lamorna colony of artists of which Birch became the acknowledged leader. The cottage here is shown in the fading light of an autumn afternoon. Oil lamps are lit in the rooms that served as the office of the Lamorna land agent, Gilbert Evans, a great friend to many of the Lamorna artists and the manager of the estate on the western side of this valley on behalf of the local squire Colonel Paynter. The property was demolished in 1917 and another house was built on the site.

Cottage in the Hollow was an exhibited work and may have been included in Birch's show Land of the West at The Fine Art Society in London in November 1906. This exhibition included many Lamorna subjects, in particular atmospheric scenes at twilight (such as this one) which Birch was then very fond of painting. The building in the background is Lily Cottage, the home of fellow artist Stanley Horace Gardiner (1888-1952)

There is a noticeable similarity here with the work of fellow Lancashire artist Oswald Garside (1879-1942).

LOTS 1-34
THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE AUSTIN WORMLEIGHTON

Samuel John Lamorna Birch, RA, RWS (1869–1955) was a British landscape painter closely associated with the artistic communities of Cornwall. Born in Egremont, Cheshire, Birch spent much of his early childhood in modest circumstances following the death of his father. His mother moved the family to Manchester where Birch began to show an early aptitude for drawing, despite receiving only a limited formal education.

Birch initially trained as a clerk and worked in cotton mills but he pursued art with determination, enrolling at the Académie Julian in Paris during the 1890s. There, he absorbed influences from French Impressionism, working en plein air and developing a sensitivity to light and atmosphere that would define his mature work. His time in France was crucial in shaping his painterly approach, encouraging looser brushwork and a brighter palette than was typical in British art of the period.

In 1895, Birch settled in Lamorna Valley in Cornwall, a location that would become central to both his identity and artistic output, so much so that he adopted ‘Lamorna’ as part of his name. He became associated with the Newlyn School and Birch’s style combined Impressionist techniques with a distinctly British sensibility, characterised by vibrant colours, textured brushstrokes and an emphasis on the play of natural light.

His subject matter focused largely upon the Cornish landscape: sunlit valleys, rugged coastlines, sparkling streams and pastoral scenes. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Birch often emphasised decorative qualities and emotional resonance over strict realism, creating works that feel immediate, lyrical and personal.

Birch achieved considerable success during his lifetime, becoming a member of the Royal Academy in 1934. His legacy in popularising the Lamorna Valley as an artistic hub and in bridging British and French painting traditions in his own distinctive idiom cannot be overestimated. Today, his work is remembered for its celebration of light, colour, and his great love of the enduring beauty of the Cornish landscape.

Austin Wormleighton (19372019), wholly synonymous with Birch expertise and a distinguished historian of the Newlyn artists, wrote the definitive biography about Birch, ‘A Painter Laureate: Lamorna Birch and his Circle’ (recently republished by Whitefox Publishing, 2025). This readable but learned account of Birch’s life shows Austin’s skill at lucid narrative (derived from a career in journalism) and his evident admiration for the artist’s oeuvre. Austin’s support of, and contributions towards, many exhibitions of Birch’s work brought him into contact with like-minded enthusiasts. He will be fondly remembered for his gentle, affable demeanour; his profound knowledge that was always lightly worn; and for his passionate love of Birch’s work.

Many of these works by Birch were included in the exhibition Lamorna Birch: A Painter Laureate at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance (October 2025-January 2026).