Ask for the famous artists of Towner and you will hear of John Ward, William Edward Stott, Joseph Harold Swanwick and Henry Gales.
Below, the 17 best-known of the 64 artists with works of Towner in our catalogue (97 works), each with what the museum holds of them.
The masters of the originals
The 10 masters whose originals hang in Towner
For each master: where and when they were born, their movement, how many originals the museum keeps in our catalogue, a note from their life, and the originals to see.
-
1. John Ward 1912–1981
1912–1981 2 originals at Towner
John Ward was born on December 28, 1798, in Hereford, England—the youngest son of Abraham Ward, a master mariner and antiquarian, and Sarah Clark. Ward’s childhood was marked by exposure to maritime lore and scholarly pursuits, fostering an inquisitive spirit and grounding him in historical context. Ward’s artistic style was significantly impacted by the celebrated Scottish marine artist William Anderson, whose meticulous observation and expressive brushwork served as an exemplar for Ward himself.
Originals at Towner
-
Impressionism
2. William Edward Stott born 1918
born 1918 Impressionism 2 originals at Towner
William Edward Stott (1855-1918) was a British painter known for his Naturalistic scenes of rural life, evocative landscapes & atmospheric depictions of light. Influenced by the Barbizon School & Impressionism, he achieved critical success in the lat. Though Stott may not have attained the global celebrity of his contemporaries like Monet or Renoir, his contribution to the British aesthetic remains vital.
Originals at Towner
-
3. Joseph Harold Swanwick 1866–1929
1866–1929 2 originals at Towner
Joseph Harold Swanwick, born in Middlewich, Cheshire, in 1866, was precisely such an artist – a master of depicting the evocative landscapes and working lives of rural Sussex, England, during his decades-long career. The “Last Load,” exhibited at the Royal Academy, exemplifies this skill perfectly, capturing the weariness and dignity of farm labourers returning from their day’s work.
Originals at Towner
-
4. Henry Gales 1834–1897
1834–1897 Born in Accra, United Kingdom 4 originals at Towner
The annals of nineteenth-century British art are often defined by grand narratives and sweeping landscapes, yet few artists captured the psychological weight of political history as poignently as Henry Gales. Born in 1834 in the quiet village of Acle, Norfolk, Gales emerged from a lineage of stability—the son of solicitor Daniel Gales and Mary Church—to become a master of the human drama.
Originals at Towner
-
5. Victor Pasmore 1908–1998
1908–1998 Born in Chelsham, United Kingdom 4 originals at Towner
Edwin John Victor Pasmore was born on December 3, 1908, in Chelsham, Surrey. A turning point came with the death of his father in 1927, forcing him to take an administrative position at the London County Council. After being refused recognition by his local tribunal, he was called up for military service in 1942.
Originals at Towner
-
11 originals at Towner
While Finn may not be a household name, her work has garnered increasing recognition within art circles.
Originals at Towner
-
Naive Art
7. Alfred Wallis 1855–1942
1855–1942 Born in Devonport, United Kingdom Naive Art 2 originals at Towner
Born in Devonport, England, Wallis possessed no formal art training; he was a self-taught craftsman who worked as a shipbuilder for much of his life, shaping timbers into vessels that sailed the Atlantic waters. It was not until the 1920s that Wallis’s artistic career truly blossomed, following his relocation to the vibrant artistic enclave of St Ives, Cornwall.
Originals at Towner
-
Impressionism
8. Cedric Morris 1889–1982
1889–1982 Born in Sketty, United Kingdom Impressionism 2 originals at Towner
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, born December 11, 1889, in Sketty, Swansea, was a figure who defied easy categorization. Morris's formal artistic training began at the Académie Delécluse in Montparnasse in 1914, a period of intense creative ferment. It was in 1918 that a defining relationship blossomed: his partnership with Arthur Lett-Haines.
Originals at Towner
-
Expressionism
9. David Bomberg 1890–1957
1890–1957 Born in Birmingham, United Kingdom Expressionism 2 originals at Towner
Birmingham, United Kingdom (December 5, 1890) Died: London, United Kingdom (August 19, 1957) One of the 'Whitechapel Boys' – a group of East End artists who emerged in the early 20th century. Born to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, Abraham and Rebecca Bomberg, initially studied at the City and Guilds Technical Art School before training as a lithographer in Birmingham.
Originals at Towner
-
10. William Gear 1915–1997
1915–1997 Born in Methil, United Kingdom 2 originals at Towner
William Gear, born in Methil, Fife, Scotland in 1915, emerged as a pivotal figure in British abstract art, a painter whose career spanned decades and reflected the seismic shifts in artistic expression throughout the 20th century. There, amongst his peers – Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Margaret Mellis – Gear began to lay the foundations for a style that would ultimately blend nature’s vibrancy with the dynamism of modernism.
Originals at Towner
The masters, continued
No. 11 to No. 17: more masters of Towner
-
11. Elliot Seabrooke
Impressionism
1886–1950 · born in London Borough of Newham, United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
-
12. Patricia Preece
1894–1966 · born in United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
Patricia Preece (1894-1966) was an English artist linked to the Bloomsbury Group, famed for her complex life & association with Stanley Spencer. Though she exhibited widely, most works were by Dorothy Hepworth, her lifelong companion. Known for portr
-
-
14. Phelan Gibb
1870–1948 · born in Alnwick, United Kingdom · 5 originals at Towner
- Three Graces (1911)
- Group of Nude Women Bathers (1909)
- Rose Nudes (1913)
-
15. David Jagger
1891–1958 · born in Kilnhurst, United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
-
16. Henry Stockley
1892–1982 · born in Eynsford, United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
- Through the Trees, Hyde Park, London (1933)
- Flight into Egypt (1929)
-
17. Kenneth Hall
1913–1946 · born in United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
The house in figures
The masters of Towner, in figures
The masters with the most originals at Towner
Masters with two originals or more, by century of birth
Masters with two originals or more, by country of birth
Masters with two originals or more, by movement
Women masters
The women whose originals hang in Towner
3 women masters, 4 originals, in our catalogue of Towner.
-
Patricia Preece
1894–1966 · born in United Kingdom · 2 originals at Towner
-
Stanisława de Karłowska
1876–1952 · born in Wszeliwy, Poland · 1 originals at Towner
-
Asked of us
Questions on the masters of Towner
Open a question to read the answer.
Who is the most famous artist in Towner?
John Ward, with 2 works at Towner in our catalogue (The Reverend Dr Lushington and All Night Café); then William Edward Stott and Joseph Harold Swanwick.
Which John Ward works are in Towner?
Our catalogue lists 2 works by John Ward at Towner, among them The Reverend Dr Lushington and All Night Café.
Which William Edward Stott works are in Towner?
Our catalogue lists 2 works by William Edward Stott at Towner, among them Saturday Night and Lambing Time.
Which Joseph Harold Swanwick works are in Towner?
Our catalogue lists 2 works by Joseph Harold Swanwick at Towner, among them Oxen Ploughing, South Downs and Alfriston, East Sussex.
Who are the top 10 artists in Towner?
The ten best-known artists with works in Towner are John Ward (2), William Edward Stott (2), Joseph Harold Swanwick (2), Henry Gales (4), Victor Pasmore (4), Doreen Finn (11), Alfred Wallis (2), Cedric Morris (2), David Bomberg (2) and William Gear (2).
Which painter is most represented in Towner?
Our catalogue holds 11 works by Doreen Finn at Towner; next come Phelan Gibb (5), Henry Gales (4) and Victor Pasmore (4).
Are there Leonardo da Vinci works in Towner?
Our catalogue lists no work by Leonardo da Vinci at Towner.
Is Pablo Picasso in Towner?
Our catalogue lists no work by Pablo Picasso at Towner.
How many women artists are in Towner?
Our catalogue lists 3 women artists with works at Towner: Patricia Preece (2), Stanisława de Karłowska (1) and Elizabeth Magill (1).
Which countries are the painters of Towner from?
Counting the artists with two works or more, Towner holds painters born mostly in United Kingdom (12) and Ireland (1).
From which period are the artists of Towner?
Most of the artists with two works or more at Towner were born in the 19th century (11 artists); the earliest in this ranking is Henry Gales (1834–1897), the latest William Edward Stott (born 1918).
How many painters are represented in Towner?
Our catalogue lists 64 artists with at least one work at Towner, 17 of them with two or more, born between 1834 and 1918 in 2 countries.
The house
Towner, Eastbourne, in a few lines
A Coastal Sanctuary of Light and Line
The soul of the institution resides in its unparalleled dedication to the legacy of British modernism, most notably through its magnificent holdings of Eric Ravilious. This regional devotion extends far beyond a single artist; the collection acts as a champion for the South East, nurturing local talent while simultaneously hosting cutting-edge contemporary works from global icons.
A Legacy of Visionary Bequests
The collection presents works that range from the delicate precision of printmaking to the bold, immersive textures of modern installations, all unified by a shared sense of light and atmosphere. Notable elements of its cultural landscape include: the Ravilious Legacy: A deep exploration of the Sussex landscape through the lens of British modernist masters. A purpose-built facility that utilizes the surrounding South Downs to enhance the viewing experience. A commitment to hosting international showcases and large-scale commissions, such as evocative sculptures integrated into the gallery grounds. Whether discovering the intricate beauty of a print or standing before a large-scale contemporary installation, visitors find themselves in a place where history and modernity coexist.
The famous originals of TownerTowner: the full page, 100 originalsThe museums of Eastbourne
How the masters of the originals are ranked
The masters with two originals or more of Towner in our catalogue are ranked by fame: the Wikipedia language editions that describe them, the visits to their OriginalUniqueArt.com page and our studio's ranking. Originals are counted in our catalogue — one entry per work, without details, studies or copies — not in the museum's inventory. Every date, birthplace and movement is the catalogue's; the notes are drawn from the master's biography.
Go on