The Vale of Neath, South Wales

The son of a Leicestershire farmer, Glover was appointed writing master at a school in Westmorland in 1786, and eight years later became drawing master in Lichfield, Staffordshire. He was a pupil of William Payne, and in 1795 began exhibiting oil paintings at the Royal Academy, which were favourably received compared to those of Turner, much to the irritation of John Constable. In exploring new ways to capture light and atmosphere in his work Glover developed the technique of painting foliage with a split brush which can be seen in the trees and vegetation in the present watercolour. A founding member of the Old Water-Colour Society, Glover exhibited regularly before he emigrated to Tasmania in 1831.