Thomas Flatman (21 February 1635 – 8 December 1688)Cincinnati Art Museum, Julie Aronson, Marjorie E. Wieseman - ''Perfect Likeness: European And American Portrait Miniatures''
/ref> was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and miniature painter. There were several editions of his ''Poems and Songs'' (1674). One of his self-portraits is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. A portrait of Charles II is in the Wallace Collection, London. His miniatures are noted for their vitality.

Life

Flatman was the son of a clerk in Chancery and was born in Aldersgate Street and educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

. He went on to study at New College, Oxford. He was later called to the bar in 1662 although he seems never to have practiced as a lawyer. He was a staunch

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

and one of his poems was to celebrate the return of Charles II in 1660 after the collapse of the Cromwellian Commonwealth. Among his earliest verses are lines prefixed to ''Graphice'' (1658) by Sir

William Sanderson William Sanderson (born January 10, 1944) is an American retired actor. He played J. F. Sebastian in the feature film ''Blade Runner'' (1982), and had regular roles on several television series such as Larry on ''Newhart'' (1982–1990), E. B ...

, a work containing a description of the art of miniature painting, based on Edward Norgate's writings. Flatman divided his career between writing poetry (in which his earnest religious temperament is revealed) and painting portraits in miniature. A versatile man, he was made a Fellow of the newly founded

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1668. A number of his friends were leading clergymen, and many of his sitters were drawn from the Church and other intellectual circles.

Alexander Chalmers Alexander Chalmers (29 March 1759 – 29 December 1834) was a Scottish writer. He was born in Aberdeen. Trained as a doctor, he gave up medicine for journalism, and was for some time editor of the ''Morning Herald''. Besides editions of the wo ...

attributes the satirical work ''Don Juan Lamberto, or a Comical History of the late Times '' to Flatman in his entry in the General Biographical Dictionary of 1812–1817.

References

External links

*
Portrait of Sir John King in the Royal Collection

Engraving of Thomas Flatman by William Richardson in the National Portrait Gallery

Self-portrait in the National Portrait Gallery

Poem: Advice To An Old Man of Sixty Three About To Marry a Girle of Sixteen

Poem: The Batchelor's Song

Poem: The Sad Day

19th century biographical entry by Alexander Chalmers
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flatman, Thomas 1635 births 1688 deaths 17th-century English painters English male painters English portrait painters Portrait miniaturists Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of New College, Oxford English male poets