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Thomas Birch (1779 – January 3, 1851), was an English-born American portrait and marine painter.
Historically, the Birches' most important work may be a circa-1801 engraving documenting the unfinished
Biography
Birch was born in Wawickshire, England. He came to the U. S. in 1794, and assisted his artist father, William Birch, in preparing a 29-plate collection of engravings:''Birch's Views of Philadelphia
''Birch's Views of Philadelphia'' was an 1800 book of prints drawn and engraved by William Birch (painter), William Russell Birch (1755–1834) and his son Thomas Birch (artist), Thomas Birch (1779–1851). The 27 illustrations of the city ...
'' (1800). Subscribers to the series included President John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
and Vice President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
. This sold well and went into multiple editions, inspiring similar collected views of New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and of suburban estates surrounding Philadelphia and Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. The son's first major painting appears to have been a view of Philadelphia from the Treaty Elm in Kensington, which was also engraved and published in 1804. He painted portraits until about 1807, when he took up marine-painting. Some of his most famous works depict naval battles of the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
.
"Birch was the first American ship portraitist, and his paintings were copied by countless artists and craftsmen in America and Europe." In addition to ships, they provide valuable images of bridges, lighthouses, docksides, and harbor fortifications in the Early Republic, especially those surrounding New York City and Philadelphia. His paintings of suburban mansions and rural snow scenes were often turned into engravings.
Historically, the Birches' most important work may be a circa-1801 engraving documenting the unfinished U.S. Capitol
The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is form ...
. Another, may be the son's painting depicting an 1812 naval battle between USS ''United States'' and HMS ''Macedonian'', that hung in the Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
of U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
. It was sold at auction in 2008, setting a record price for the artist of $481,000.
An assessment from 1867:
''Marine landscapes were painted thirty years ago by an Englishman in Philadelphia — Thomas Birch. The freshness of his atmosphere and clearly-painted waves were a marked feature. His delineation of the engagement between the U.S. frigate ''Constitution'' and the British frigate ''Guerriere'', and that between the ''United States'' and the ''Macedonian'' — each four by two feet six inches — are fine specimens of this artist, and of rare historical value.''He exhibited regularly at the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.PAFA, the mfa.org
; accessed January 29, 2007 among others. In 1833, he was elected into the
File:Brooklyn Museum - Shipwreck - Thomas Birch - overall.jpg, Thomas Birch, ''Shipwreck,'' 1829. Oil on canvas.
Biography
from ushistory.org
brooklynmuseum.org
''View of the Delaware near Philadelphia''
1831,
The Mariners' Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Thomas 1779 births 1851 deaths Painters from London Artists from Philadelphia English emigrants to the United States 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists American male painters 19th-century American painters American marine artists National Academy of Design members 19th-century American male artists
Library Company of Philadelphia
The Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of hist ...
, the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
, the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...
, the U.S. Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...
, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...
,; accessed January 29, 2007
National Academy of Design
The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...
as an Honorary member. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Gallery
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...
Image:U.S.S. Wasp Boarding H.M Brig Frolic.jpg, USS ''Wasp'' boarding HMS ''Frolic'', 1815, Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and the ...
File:Sedgeley Park.JPG, ''Sedgeley Park, Philadelphia'', 1819, Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...
, Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
File:Mouth of the Delaware by Thomas Birch, 1828.jpg, ''Mouth of the Delaware'', 1828, White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a private, non-profit organization that works to preserve the history of the White House and make that history more accessible to the pub ...
, Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
File:View of the Delaware near Philadelphia by Thomas Birch, 1831 - Corcoran Gallery of Art - DSC01111.JPG, ''View of the Delaware near Philadelphia'', 1831, Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
, Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
File:Thomas Birtch On the Shrewsbury River, Redbank, New Jersey.jpg, ''On the Shrewsbury River, Redbank, New Jersey'', 1840
File:'An American Shore Scene' by Thomas Birch, 1827.jpg, ''An American Shore Scene'', 1831
File:Packet ship in a stormy sea Thomas Birch.jpg, ''packet ship in a stormy sea'', 1849 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library, conta ...
File:Boats navigating the waves Thomas Birch.jpg, ''boats navigating the waves'', ca 1828 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library, conta ...
File:View of the Philadelphia Navy Yard Thomas Birch.jpg, ''view of the Philadelphia Navy Yard'', 1835 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library, conta ...
References
*Marian Carson, "Thomas Birch", ''Catalogue of the 150th Anniversary Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts'', (PAFA, 1955), p. 34. *Doris Jear Creer, ''Thomas Birch: A Study of the Condition of Painting and the Artist's Position in Federal America'', M.A. thesis, University of Delaware, 1958. *William H. Gerdts, ''Thomas Birch (1779–1851), Paintings and Drawings'', exhibition catalogue, Philadelphia Maritime Museum, 1966. *Richard Anthony Lewis, "Interesting Particulars and Melancholy Occurrences: Thomas Birch's Representations of the Shipping Trade, 1799–1850", 3 vols., Ph.D. dissertation, Northwestern University, 1994. *Tony Lewis, "Sleigh Ride on a Grey Day, 1832", "American Paintings", (Schwarz Galleries, 2003), pp. 36–38. *Stefanie A. Munsing, "Thomas Birch (1779–1851)", ''Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art'', (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976), pp. 229–30. *Michael W. Schantz, ''Celebrating Philadelphia's Artistic Legacy'', (Woodmere Art Museum, 2000), pp. 23–24. *Martin P. Snyder, "William Birch: His Philadelphia Views", ''Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography'', vol. 73 (1949), pp. 271–315. *S. Robert Teitelman, ''Birch's Views of Philadelphia, with Photographs of the Sites in 1960 & 1982'', (Free Library of Philadelphia, 1982, reprinted University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983).External links
Biography
from ushistory.org
brooklynmuseum.org
''View of the Delaware near Philadelphia''
1831,
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
, Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
The Mariners' Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Thomas 1779 births 1851 deaths Painters from London Artists from Philadelphia English emigrants to the United States 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists American male painters 19th-century American painters American marine artists National Academy of Design members 19th-century American male artists