Dorchester, seen across the Dyke hills

George Price Boyce was the son of a wealthy wine merchant and pawnbroker and spent his childhood in London. In 1846 he was apprenticed to the architects Wyatt & Brandon where he remained for three years. It was in 1849 that Boyce met David Cox at Betws-y-Coed and as a result decided to become a painter. Boyce's early work, although fluent, derived from David Cox and it was on a journey to Italy painting views of Venice and Verona that Boyce was commended by Ruskin. Boyce strayed away from conventional compositions and picturesque detail, seeking to paint viewpoints from which the landscape and buildings might be seen in interesting juxtaposition. He travelled England widely and his favourite area for painting was the Thames valley between Reading and Oxford.
Boyce was a long time friend of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the two were frequent companions. In 1870 Boyce commissioned Philip West to build West House in Chelsea, where he was to live for the rest of his life. He filled the house with an important collection of paintings, many from his friend Rossetti including the commissioned work Bocca Baciate.
The contents of George Price Boyce's studio were sold at Christie's, 1 July 1897.