William Roos (1808 – 4 July 1878) 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 and engraver. Several of Roos' portraits, mainly of notable Welsh figures, are owned by the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...

Life history

Roos was born in 1808 to Thomas and Mary Roose of Bodgadfa,

Amlwch Amlwch (; ) is a port town and community in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. As well as Amlwch town and Amlwch Port, other settlements within the c ...

on the

Isle of Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island, ...

. Although no exact date of birth exists, he was christened on 30 April 1808. In 1858, at the National Eisteddfod at

Llangollen Llangollen () is a town and community, situated on the River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beau ...

, Roos' paintings ''The Death of Owen Glyndwr'' and ''The Death of Captain Wynn at Alma'' won the second place prize. Although based in Wales, he spent periods of time in London and frequently travelled in order to sustain his portrait work. A popular portrait painter, several of his portraits are now held at the National Museum of Wales, including oils of preacher

Christmas Evans Christmas Evans (25 December 1766 – 19 July 1838) was a Welsh Nonconformist (Protestantism), nonconformist minister, described as "the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain." Life Evans was born near the village o ...

Thomas Charles Thomas Charles (14 October 17555 October 1814) was a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist clergyman of considerable importance in the history of modern Wales. Early life Charles was born of humble parentage at Longmoor, in the parish of Llanfihangel Abe ...

, John Cox, and poet

Talhaiarn John Jones (19 January 1810 – October 1869), known by his bardic name of Talhaiarn, was a Wales, Welsh poet and architect. Life and reputation Jones was born at the ''Harp Inn'' (now known as ''Hafod y Gân'') in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbig ...

. The Museum also houses several

mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the '' intaglio'' family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonali ...

s and

lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

portraits by him.

Gallery

William Roos - Talhaiarn (1864).jpg, ''

'' (1864),

National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff ( cy, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd) is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Go ...

William Roos - John Elias (1839).jpg, ''

John Elias John Elias was a Christian preacher in Wales in the first half of the 19th century, as part of the Welsh Methodist revival. His preaching was noted as being exceptionally powerful, "as if talking fire down from heaven". On one occasion it is sa ...

'' (1839), National Museum Cardiff Margaret Mary Thomas, died 1872.jpg, ''Margaret Mary Thomas'' (1847),

Portrait of Revd. Christmas Evans, aged 70, 1835 (4670673) (cropped).jpg, ''

'' (1835),

by Roos after his own painting, National Library of Wales William Roos - Bywyd Llonydd gyda Phetris (1841).jpg, ''Bywyd Llonydd gyda Phetris'' (Still Life with Partridges) (1841), National Museum Cardiff

Life history

Gallery

References

Further reading