Early Life of John and James Bromley

John and James Bromley were sons of the steel engraver William Bromley. James was the second son of William Bromley born in Chelsea in 1795. John achieved a greater reputation as a mezzotint engraver than any of his brothers. James Bromley was the third son of William Bromley and an English mezzotint engraver.

Career of John Bromley

In 1826 he started engraving plates for River Scenery and exhibited his work at the Royal Academy in the year 1827 and 1829. He engraved ‘The Trial of Lord William Russell’ after Sir George Hayter in 1830. His mezzotint of Haydon’s ‘The Reform Banquet’ was published in 1837.
A few famous works of John Bromley include:
• King George IV, 1827
• Queen Victoria after William Bromley
• Sarah Siddons as The Tragic Muse after Sir Joshua Reynolds mezzotint, 1832
• Portrait of the African explorer Dixon Denham, after Thomas Phillips

Famous Works of John Charles Bromley

In his earlier works, he used his initial ‘John’, but in later productions, he signed his name John Charles Bromley. His works include the following:
• Miss Russell Mitford, 1830
• The Bride Maid, 1831
• Colonel Denham, the African traveler, 1831
• Spanish girl with her nurse, 1831
• Marquis of Lansdowne,1831

• The Death of a Stag in Glen Tilt, portraits of His Grace the Duke of Athol
• Portraits of Honourable George Murray, 1833
• The entry of Wellington into Madrid, after Hilton
• Portrait of Mrs. Wolfe
• The Light Guitar (J.W.Wright) 1833
• Trial of Lord William Russell, after Hayter
• Lady Jane Gray declining the crown, after Leslie
• Trial of Algernon Sidney, 1835
• The Bishop of Calcutta

Career and Famous works of James Bromley

James Bromley produced highly commendable enumerated portraits which include the following:
• Portrait of The Duchess of Kent, after Sir George Hayter

• Earl of Carlisle when Lord Morpeth, after Thomas Heathfield Carrick
• Falstaff, after Henry Liversage
• La Zingarella, after Octavius Oakley

• Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russel after Sir George Hayter, 1836
• Portraits of King George IV, after Robert Bowyer, 1827
• The Marchioness of Londonderry after Ross (R.A). Private Plate
• The Late Sir Walter Farquhar, after Saunders. Private

• Andrew Spottiswoode, alter Phillips R.A.

• William Wordsworth, after Sir William Boxall, 10 June 1832

Between 1829 and 1833 he exhibited twelve of his works at the Suffolk Street Gallery.

Later years of John and James Bromley

John Bromley died at the age of forty-four on 3 April 1839, of water on the chest. He got married and had lost two of his sons, one of his son Mr. Frederick Bromley also a mezzotint engraver.

James Bromley died unmarried at the age of thirty-seven on 12 December 1838. He produced commendable plates principally portraits in his lifetime.