Thomas P. Barnett (February 11, 1870 – September 23, 1929), also known professionally as Tom Barnett and Tom P. Barnett, was an American architect and

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

from St. Louis, Missouri. Barnett was nationally recognized for both his work in architecture and in painting.Leonard, John W. ''The Book of St. Louisans''. The St. Louis Republic, 1906, p. 38.

Architectural work

Barnett trained under his father, St. Louis architect

George I. Barnett George Ingham Barnett (1815–1898) was an architect from St. Louis, Missouri. He was called "The Dean of St. Louis Architecture" for his contributions to the buildings of St. Louis as well as for his influence on other architects in the United ...

, who was known for designing public landmarks such as the renovation of the Old Courthouse, the

Missouri Governor's Mansion The Missouri Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jefferson City, Missouri. It is located at 100 Madison Street. On May 21, 1969, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is located in the Missouri State C ...

, and the structures of the Missouri Botanical Garden. In painting, the younger Barnett trained at the

St. Louis School of Fine Arts The St. Louis School of Fine Arts was founded as the Saint Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts in 1879 as part of Washington University in St. Louis, and has continuously offered visual arts and sculpture education since then. Its purpose-buil ...

, with a fair list of awards and exhibitions. After graduating

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

in 1886, Tom Barnett joined with his brother and brother-in-law, George Dennis Barnett and John Ignatius Haynes, to form the architectural firm Barnett, Haynes & Barnett. The firm continued the traditional motifs of the elder George Barnett. The combined legacy of two generations of Barnett designs were largely responsible for Classicism being the dominant architectural influence in St. Louis. In 1904, Barnett served on the Commission of Architects for the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

(better known as the St. Louis World's Fair) and personally designed the Palace of Liberal Arts for which he earned the fair's ''Gold Medal for Architecture''.Levy, Florence N. ''American Art Annual''. American Art Annual Inc, 1903, p. 246. The following year, he would win the ''Bronze Medal for Architecture'' at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. Other projects designed by Barnett included commercial buildings, residential (including private places), and a significant number of religious structures. Surviving examples include the

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Completed in 1914, it is the mother church of the Arch ...

, the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas, and the Saint Clement Catholic Church in Chicago. File:Kingsbury Place.jpg, Kingsbury Place in St. Louis, 1902 File:Palace of Liberal Arts.jpg, Palace of Liberal Arts at the

1904 World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

File:Cathedral-basilica-of-saint-louis.jpg,

, 1912 File:Adolphus01.jpg, Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, 1912 File:Cathedral Parish of St Pat, El Paso.jpg, Cathedral of St. Patrick in El Paso, 1914 File:Busch Mausoleum 2013.jpg, Busch Mausoleum in Bellefontaine Cemetery, 1915 File:Front of St. Clement Chicago.jpg, Saint Clement Catholic Church in Chicago, 1917

Painting

Later in life, Barnett turned his attentions primarily to painting. He studied under

Paul Cornoyer Paul Cornoyer (1864–1923) was an American painter, currently best known for his popularly reproduced painting in an Impressionist, tonalist, and sometimes pointillist style. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Cornoyer began painting in Barbizon styl ...

, and followed the American Impressionism style. Barnett characteristically used wide brush strokes and vibrant colors. His works typically idealized his subjects, and were emotionally expressive and optimistic. Barnett's paintings were well received in his lifetime. His works were exhibited at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the first exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and with regularity at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Barnett won both local and national awards including the ''Bronze Medal for Painting'' at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905, and the ''First Ives Landscape Prize'' from the St. Louis Artist's Guild every year between 1914 and 1925. In 1922, Barnett painted the 12' by 6' mural, ''Riches of the Mines'', in the

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, it is the third capitol to be built in the city. ( ...

in Jefferson City. The lunette representing a zinc mine in southwest Missouri was a favorite of art critics who marveled at Barnett's ability to depict drama and beauty in an otherwise bleak and desolate scene.Priddy, Bob & Jeffrey Ball. ''The Art of the Missouri Capitol; History in Canvas, Bronze, and Stone''. University of Missouri Press, 2011, p. 194. Barnett was a member of the Chicago Art Guild,

National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'' to "stimulate, foster, and promote public ...

, St. Louis Artist's Guild, Salmagundi Club, Chicago Galleries Association, Allied Artists of America, and the American Federation of Arts. Works by Barnett are held in the permanent collections of the

, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the art collection of the Missouri State Capitol, the Missouri History Museum, the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri, and the Busch family collection housed at

Grant's Farm Grant's Farm is a historic farm, and long-standing landmark in Grantwood Village, Missouri, built by Ulysses S. Grant on land given to him and his wife by his father in law Frederick Fayette Dent shortly after they became married in 1848. It ...

. File:Barnett winter river.jpg, ''Winter River Landscape'', 1907 File:Close of a Winter Day.jpg, ''Close of a Winter Day'', 1914, in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum File:Barnett forestparklandscape2.jpg, ''

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

Landscape'', 1916 File:Riches of the Mines 1922.jpg, ''Riches of the Mines'', 1922, mural in the

File:Barnett winter painting.jpg, ''In the Heart of the Ozarks'', 1925 File:Barnett Clipping.jpg, ''Pickle Stone Company'', 1925 File:Construction of the River des Peres Channel in Forest Park.jpg, ''Construction of the River des Peres Channel in

'', 1927 File:Mid Winter 1929.jpg, ''Mid Winter'', 1929

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, Thomas P. 1870 births 1929 deaths Saint Louis University alumni 20th-century American painters American male painters American Impressionist painters Architects from St. Louis Members of the Salmagundi Club 20th-century American male artists