Lynn Museum art collection
The stark beauty of the Fenlands, majestic coasts and wetlands, and the magnificent historic buildings make West Norfolk a haven for artists.
In particular, the work of three prominent painters can be seen in Lynn Museum - brothers Henry and Thomas Baines, and Walter Dexter.
Born in King's Lynn on 27 November 1820, Thomas Baines was apprenticed to a coach painter. Aged 22, he left for South Africa and became a scenic and portrait artist. He accompanied David Livingstone along the Zambezi and was one of the first travellers to view the Victoria Falls. Thomas Baines is best known for his detailed paintings and drawings that give a unique insight into colonial life in Africa and Australia. He died in Durban on 8 May 1875, aged 54.
Henry Baines (1823-1894), younger brother of Thomas, features particularly strongly in the Museum art collection with his oil paintings of sailing ships, the fishing fleet, and views of the town. His drawings and sketches show ships at sea as well as fishermen mending nets, and provide a valuable snapshot of Lynn in the 19th century.
Walter Dexter (1876-1958) artist and poet, taught at King Edward Seventh School before later sadly dying as a result of an accident involving a motorcycle on the Saturday Market Place in King's Lynn. He was an illustrator whose work appears on many brochures and illustrations of Lynn, and his detailed drawings remain popular to this day.