Edmund John Niemann was a painter of landscapes, angling subjects and marines. He was born in Islington, of a German immigrant father and was employed as a young man at Lloyds. But after 1839 he devoted himself to painting and moved to High Wycombe where he worked incessantly out of doors. He exhibited from 1844-72 at the Royal Academy and after his return to London in 1848 he attended the foundation of the “Free Exhibition” held in the Chinese Gallery at Hyde Park Corner. Later in 1850 this became the Portland Gallery, Regent Street, of which he became Secretary. His paintings, often very large, illustrate every phase of nature. He often painted the scenery of the Thames and of the Swale near Richmond in Yorkshire. His son Edward H. Niemann, closely imitated his style, and their work is often confused. Old Henley Church and Reading Church thus represent an extremely fine and exceptionally early pair of topographical paintings by the artist.