William Thomas Roden (31 May 1818 – 25 December 1892) was a nineteenth-century English artist.
Life
William Thomas Roden was born in Bradford Street,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
, England, the son of William and Sarah Roden. He was apprenticed to a Mr. Vye, an engraver, who was married to Roden's sister Lavinia. On Tye's recommendation, Roden moved to London to become an apprentice to
George Thomas Doo
George Thomas Doo (6 January 1800 – 13 November 1886) was an English engraver.
Life
Doo was born near Christ Church in Southwark, London. His teacher was Charles Heath. He went to Paris in 1825. There he studied in the ''atelier'' of Suis ...
. He continued to practise engraving for about ten years. Later he returned to Birmingham, where he found success as a portrait painter.
The Birmingham painters William Roden Jr (professional portrait painter, working c. 1866-82), W. Frederick Roden (portrait and figure painter, working c. 1876 – 1889) and Mary Roden (flower painter, working c. 1881 – 1897), are thought to be three of his children.
He died on Christmas Day 1892, at his sister Lavinia's house in
Handsworth, after a long illness.
Career
William Thomas Roden exhibited in London between 1843 and 1879, including six works at the
Royal Academy, two at the British Institute (1806–67), and four at the
Royal Society of British Artists.
[S. Morris & K. Morris, ''A Catalogue of Birmingham and West Midlands Painters of the Nineteenth Century'', Six Bells, Warwickshire, 1985]
He was a prominent figure within the
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is an art society, based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England, where it owns and operates an art gallery, the RBSA Gallery, on Brook Street, just off St Paul's Square. It is both a ...
. He exhibited between 1843 and 1887 and was a member for 25 years, from 1848 to 1873. In total, Roden exhibited 86 works at the RBSA Gallery, including 65 portraits (presumably all commissions, since none for sale); a few landscapes; paintings of biblical, literary, or classical subject matter; and some engravings.
Notable sitters for Roden include Lord Palmerston,
Lord Gladstone,
Cardinal Newman,
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...
and fellow artist,
Peter Hollins.
In 1867 Roden was made the Director of the Life Academy. He held the position for two years, before swapping to become the Director of the Costume Academy instead. In 1872 he resigned from this position, and left the society completely in 1873.
Notable works
For many years William Thomas Roden painted nearly all the presentation portraits that were wanted in the town.
[Hill, J., Harper, Midgley, W., ''The history of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, with a Chapter of personal reminiscence by Edward S. Harper'' Birmingham: Cornish Brothers, 1929, p.40] As well as private commissions, Roden painted a number of portraits by subscription for presentation to Birmingham Council House,
Aston Hall
Aston Hall is a Grade I listed Jacobean house in Aston, Birmingham, England, designed by John Thorpe and built between 1618 and 1635. It is a leading example of the Jacobean prodigy house.
In 1864, the house was bought by Birmingham Corpor ...
,
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BM&AG) is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, natural history, archaeology, ethnography, local ...
, the General Hospital and
Saltley College
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city.
History
Saltley was originally ...
.
Notable works include:
* ''portrait of
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
''
* ''portrait of The Reverend G.D. Boyle, Vicar of Kidderminster'' (c. 1868), painted for presentation by his former congregation of Handsworth
* ''portrait of
Samuel Lines
Samuel Lines (1778 – 22 November 1863) was an English designer, painter and art teacher, and an early member of the Birmingham School of landscape painters.
A significant figure in the development of art in Birmingham during its rapid grow ...
'' (1863)
* ''portrait of
Professor Chamberlin'' (c. 1864)
* ''portrait of Sir John Ratcliff F.S.A'' (Lord Mayor of Birmingham, 1856–58) (c. 1860), painted for presentation to Lady Ratcliff by subscription of members of the Town Council
* ''portrait of
Lord Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period ...
'' (c. 1863)
* ''posthumous portrait of the Right Hon.
Lord Lytlleton'' (c. 1877)
Eighteen of Roden's portraits in oils are owned by the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery,
including ''Portrait of
Cardinal John Henry Newman'' (1879), ''Portrait of
Peter Hollins Esq'' (c. 1868).
An engraving by Roden, entitled ''Head of Woman'', was presented to the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists by fellow RBSA member Samuel Henry Baker (1824–1909) after Roden's death, and remains in the Society's permanent collection. It has since been identified as being after
Antonio da Correggio’s ''
Madonna of the Basket''.
References
*
;Attribution
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roden, William Thomas
1818 births
1892 deaths
English engravers
19th-century English painters
English male painters
English portrait painters
Artists from Birmingham, West Midlands
Members and Associates of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
19th-century English male artists