This attractive scene featuring Doeford Bridge near Clitheroe is by Henry H Parker. Two figures can be seen on the bridge overlooking the river Hodder. Doeford Bridge is located in Bowland Forest Low, Lancashire, 9 miles north-west of Clitheroe between Chipping Village and Whitewell. It spans over the river Hodder, near the confluence of the rivers Hodder and Loud. The bridge was built around 1770 and was constructed with squared sandstone blocks formed into 2 segmented arches with a central triangular cutwater. It was made a grade II listed building by Historic England in 1952.

Henry Parker was born in the St Pancras area of London on 27 June, 1860 and was christened Henry Deacon Hillier (or Hillyer) Parker. His parents were Thomas, a draughtsman and lithographer and Lucy Parker. The family lived in Gillies Street, St Pancras.

He studied at the St Martin’s School of Art and initially started his working life as an Illustrator for the Illustrated London News. However, by the age of 23 he had become known as a landscape painter. He married Charlotte Eliza Wilson in June, 1888 and together they had six children. His son Frederick became a draughtsman. He spent most of his adult life in Tottenham living at Elmer Road and later 13 Somerset Road. He died in London on 12 June, 1930.

Parker mainly painted rustic views of the South East of England, in Surrey, Sussex and Kent as well as views of the Thames. He also painted in Worcestershire and Wales. As well as signing his paintings Henry H Parker, he also painted under the pseudonyms of H D Hillier and possibly HD Hillyer. It is believed he used a pseudonym because of contractual obligations to a London gallery. In addition to being known as Henry Hillier Parker, he is also sometimes referred to as Henry Hillingford Parker.

His style, with its quick and impressionistic brush strokes has often been compared to B. W. Leader. Like many of his contemporaries, he concentrated on painting "pure" landscapes, a genre that he mastered early in his career. His landscapes are lush and tranquil, frequently featuring figures in a cornfield, on a boat or walking down a country path. The scenes are often sunny and bright and the waters are calm and soothing.

Parker is one of the few top calibre artists who does not appear to have exhibited in England, although his works appear frequently on the market and are as popular today as they were in his lifetime. Examples of his work are held by the Hartlepool Museum, Haworth Art Gallery, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, University of Oxford and the Williamson Art Gallery. A number of Museums and art galleries across the world also have his paintings on display including St. James’s Museum, Montreal, Auckland Museum and the Melbourne Gallery.

© Benton Fine Art