John Bowen b. 1780

  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
An unsigned watercolour with a vague attribution to John Bowen is now thought to be have executed by a different artist. The work, a view of Hobart that was shown at the Old Hobart Exhibition in 1896, was painted c.1804 when Bowen was in Tasmania as part of the expedition to form a settlement there.

sketcher(?) and naval officer, came to Sydney on 11 March 1803 and sailed with the expedition to form a settlement in Van Diemen’s Land, arriving at what became Hobart Town on 12 September 1803. Lieutenant Bowen left Tasmania in August 1804 and sailed for England in January 1805. A small, unsigned watercolour of Sullivan’s Cove (Hobart) with a suggested date of 1804 (DG) was attributed to him when shown at the Old Hobart Exhibition in 1896 by J.B. Walker (as Hobart in 1804, showing Hunter’s Island ). The same picture has also been attributed to James Grove and G.P. Harris . The latter now appears by far the most likely artist.

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Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011