Abraham Pether

Abraham Pether

Abraham Pether was an English Sublime and Romantic landscape artist who lived from 1756 to 1812. Though he was well versed in a variety of fields, he is mostly known for his paintings of moonlit landscapes. During his life, he was given the affectionate nickname of “Moonlight” Pether.

Pether was born in Chichester in southern England to an artistic family. From a very early age, he showed great talent as a musician. By age nine, he was playing the organ for one of the Chichester churches. He decided, however, to formally pursue the visual arts. Pether first studied under George Smith, a well-known and accomplished artist in his day. He was also from Chichester.

Pether’s landscapes depicted the pastoral scenes of rural England. He was well versed in depicting mountains, rivers, fire, and a variety of architecture. However, his moonlit scenes were the most well-received. It was these moody night scenes that brought him the most fame and success. Pether’s depictions of the night sky were accurate, with faithful renditions of the celestial bodies as seen from southern England. Pether helped popularize night scenes in landscapes. Other artists known for their night paintings include Aert van der Neer, Jean-François Millet, John Atkinson Grimshaw, and J. M. W. Turner.

Pether often exhibited his works at the Incorporated Society of Artists and the Free Society of Artists, and even at the prestigious Royal Academy of Art. Though his art was well-received, especially his moonlit scenes, he was never able to achieve great wealth. In addition to art and music, Pether was an avid inventor. He often lectured on his inventions to the public. His inventions include variations on telescopes, and microscopes, to name a few.

There were several other artists within Pether’s close family. His cousin, William Pether, was an artist who specialized in mezzotint engravings. His brother, Thomas, was a wax modeler who exhibited his work at the Free Society of Artists. Pether got married to Elizabeth and had nine children. Two of his sons, Sebastian and Henry, also became landscape artists with a talent for painting moonlit scenes. It is likely that their father was their first art instructor. To differentiate between his sons, art historians sometimes refer to him as “Old” Pether.

Pether’s health declined due to an extended bout with lead poisoning. Lead was a material that he used in his inventions which contributed to his premature death. One of his inventions was a pencil made of pure lead. Pether’s drawn-out illness lasted for three years and exhausted whatever fortunes he was able to amass. Abraham Pether died in 1812 at just 56 years old, leaving his family very poor.

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