Thomas Henry Thomas (31 March 1839 – 9 July 1915) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

artist particularly active in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

. He was also interested in botany, geology, history, and archaeology which were often the subjects of his art works. He was a Fellow of the

Royal Cambrian Academy of Art The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art (RCA) is a centre of excellence for art in Wales. Its main gallery is located in Conwy and it has over a hundred members. image:Plas Mawr.jpg, 240px, Plas Mawr, Conwy Early history During the 19th century there we ...

which was established in 1881. He was a leading force behind the founding of the National Museum of Wales and in the use of the red dragon symbolizing Wales.

Early life

Thomas was born on 31 March 1839 in

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...

, where his father was president of the Baptist College, though his parents were from Cardiff. He studied at Bristol School of Art, Carey's Art School,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, then the

Royal Academy Schools The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

, before travelling to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. He returned to London in 1861 to work as a painter and illustrator.

Life and creative work

In 1866, Thomas returned to settle in Cardiff (Thomas's father had retired there). He inherited his father's house on The Walk in 1880 and this became a place for intellectual discussion in the town. He became very active in the Cardiff Naturalists Society (being president for a while), the Cambrian Academy of Art and the

Welsh National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

. Thomas was an official guest at the first

Feis Ceoil Feis Ceoil ( ; "Festival of Music") is an Irish music organisation which holds an annual competitive festival of classical music. It was first organised in Dublin in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and Edward Martyn for the purpose of stimulating musi ...

in 1897. Thomas worked for ''The Daily Graphic'' where he depicted different scenes of that time the likes of work on the Severn Tunnel at

Portskewett Portskewett ( cy, Porthsgiwed or ''Porthysgewin'') is a village and community (parish) in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located four miles south west of Chepstow and one mile east of Caldicot, in an archaeologically sensitive part of the ...

, and royal visits. He illustrated in his painting a "complete catalogue of the major concerns of the 19th century". His painting can be compared with J. W. Goethe and

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...

by the common tradition. As well as formers he tried to connect the art and science more tightly.The unique prints and drawings of T. H. Thomas
Retrieved on 5 Feb 2018 Because of his interest in geology, he discovered an important dinosaur fossil which was unknown to science of that time. This petrifaction was found by him in a large stone stove in the Newton Nottage church' yard. It was named ''Brontozoum thomasii'' in his honour. He died on 5 July 1915. His more than 1,000 prints, drawings and watercolours were given to the National Museum of Wales after his death in 1915 according to his will.

Selected works

* ''Elijah and the Ravens'', late 1919, National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff. * ''Gannet Settlement on Grassholm, West of Milford'', 1890, National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff. * ''Sackcloth and Ashes: Tip Girls Leaving Work'', 1879, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery. * ''Christ and the Woman of Samaria'', late 1919, National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, T. H. 1839 births 1915 deaths 19th-century Welsh painters Artists from Cardiff Alumni of the Royal Academy Schools 20th-century Welsh painters Welsh male painters 19th-century Welsh male artists 19th-century Welsh artists 20th-century Welsh male artists