Lillie Road Arts and Antiques Quarter

A Still Life of Hydrangeas in a Vase by Owen Bowen (1873-1967) oil on board, signed (lower left).

Owen Bowen was born in Leeds in 1873 to a family of Welsh heritage and was the grandson of the highly regarded Reverend Samuel Brown of Llanelly (1799–1887). His great-grandfather, David Bowen, was one of the founders of the Independent Church in Blaen-y-coed. Bowen’s formal artistic journey began with evening classes at the Leeds School of Art, where he studied under the distinguished William Gilbert Foster (1855–1906). 

In 1904, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy, becoming a full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1917. Bowen’s accomplishments culminated in 1947 when he was appointed President of the Royal Cambrian Academy.

Bowen exhibited at several of the principal institutions including the Royal Academy, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts – of which he was a member – as well as public galleries in Leeds, Bradford, Bristol, and Birmingham. A founding member of the esteemed Staithes Group of artists, Bowen shared this distinction with celebrated figures such as his mentor William Gilbert Foster and Dame Laura Knight and her husband, Harold Knight.

Bowen’s works are found in numerous private and public collections. His paintings remain highly sought after, a testament to his enduring legacy in the art world.

Framed: 64 x 54 cm