Thomas Christopher Hofland (1777–1843) was an English artist and teacher.

Biography

Hofland was born in

Worksop Worksop ( ) is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located east-south-east of Sheffield, close to Nottinghamshire's borders with South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, on the River Ryton and not far from th ...

and he became a student of John Rathbone. He started teaching at Kew and moved to

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

in 1805, where he worked until 1808. He became the second husband of the successful writer

Barbara Hofland Barbara Hofland (1770 – 4 November 1844) was an English writer of some 66 didactic, moral stories for children, and of schoolbooks and poetry. She was asked by John Soane to write a description of his still extant museum in London's Lincoln's ...

in 1810. Hofland exhibited 72 paintings at the Royal Academy but the main source of their income was his wife's writing. He was a founder member of the

Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

where he exhibited over 100 paintings. It was said that he helped found the Society, because he had not been made a member of the '' Royal Academy''.Hofland biography
, GAC, accessed August 2011 In 1819 Hofland illustrated a book written by his wife about the Duke of Marlborough's house. Hofland was a keen angler which he would combine with his skill for landscape painting. Dovedale by Hofland

In 1839, whilst living beside the Thames, he published a book entitled ''"The British angler's manual"'' which set out to describe and advice about all aspects of

fly-fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly differ ...

, angling and

trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the i ...

. Hofland said that he had spent a long time preparing this book as he had practised his fishing whilst landscape painting. Hofland's book concentrated particularly on trout fishing and is lavishly illustrated with his own paintings and drawings which were engraved by W.R.Smith. Hofland's book describes various counties but Hampshire and Derbyshire are selected for special mention. He lists the rivers of Derbyshire, covering the Erwash (sic) in a few sentences. The River Dove (that inspired

Isaac Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of '' The Compleat Angler'', he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been col ...

's famous book) and then page after page of

Dovedale Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District of England. The land is owned by the National Trust and attracts a million visitors annually. The valley was cut by the River Dove and runs for just over between Milldale in the north and a wooded r ...

where he had spent many days sketching and angling in the company of fellow artists like

Ebenezer Rhodes Ebenezer Rhodes (1762–1839) was an English topographer, publisher, master cutler and artist. He became a prominent historian of Derbyshire. Life Born in Masborough near Rotherham, in 1762, Rhodes was educated at The Dinnington School, befor ...

from Sheffield. The gardens of the Whiteknights estate were described in a book by

with engraved pictures of the gardens and its multitude of bridges, fountains, seats and grottoes by Thomas Christopher Hofland. The book was ordered by the then

Marquess of Blandford A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

, later the

5th Duke of Marlborough George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough FSA (6 March 1766 – 5 March 1840), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1817, was a British nobleman, politician, peer, and collector of antiquities and books. He was the first one to specifi ...

, but like many other items that he ordered or purchased, it was never paid for. Three years before he died he finally visited Italy. Hofland died of cancer in Leamington Spa.

Legacy

Hofland's paintings and resulting engravings are in the Governments Art Collection and in museums or galleries in Portsmouth,

and Sheffield. Hofland's painting ''Moonlight'' inspired a poem of

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...

published in The Literary Gazette (1824).

Publications

* A descriptive account of the mansion and gardens of White-Knights: a seat of His Grace the Duke of Marlborough. By Mrs. Hofland. Illustrated with twenty-three engravings, from pictures taken on the spot by T.C. Hofland 1819

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofland, Thomas Christopher 1777 births 1843 deaths People from Worksop 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters Members of the Royal Society of British Artists 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists