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In our last post we discovered how an engraving of the 1813 East Street painting by Joseph Gilbert first captured the imagination of Nigel as a small boy.    Years later he used this as the basis for inspiration, following its composition and placement of characters, to create a modern (1975) version completed in 1978.  As an artist three styles emerged for Nigel: a naïve style straight from his imagination depicting tractors in brightly coloured fields and memories of circus performers. Secondly, watercolours and acrylic paintings of the local Chichester landscapes which he created on location.  Thirdly, detailed realistic paintings, often...

One of the pictures Nigel Purchase best remembered as a boy was a steel plate engraving of East Street, Chichester, from the 1800s.  Dedicated to the Duke of Richmond in 1813 this picture was created by Joseph Gilbert; it depicts East Street on Market Day with a cast of local characters going about their business.   Fast forward to 1975 - at this time Nigel was working on a painting based on photographs of his grandfather's wedding.  Mervyn Cutten, the then landlord of the Murrel Arms in Barnham, West Sussex, saw this picture and proposed an idea to Nigel.  He...

Nigel Purchase was a Chichester Artist (1940-2011), he became well known for his commemorative paintings of the City of Chichester, immortalising local people via miniature portraits in these City scenes.   As his children (Melissa and Hugo) we are delighted to welcome you to celebrate his life and work at this website.  We want to share with you these incredible paintings that capture the spirit of Chichester.  We will bring you the stories of the paintings, and in time hope to share stories of the characters depicted in them.   We are excited to also let you know that you can...