Thomas Richmond (1771–1837) was an English miniature-painter.

Life

He was son of Thomas Richmond, originally of

Bawtry Bawtry is a market town and civil parish in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It lies south-east of Doncaster, west of Gainsborough and north-west of Retford, on the border with Nottinghamshire and close to Lincolnshire. ...

, and of an old

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

family. His father was 'groom of the stables' to the

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester ( ) is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...

, and afterwards the proprietor of the Coach and Horses at

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

, where the artist was born in 1771. His mother, Ann Bone, was a cousin of

George Engleheart George Engleheart (1750–1829) was an English painter of portrait miniatures, and a contemporary of Richard Cosway, John Smart, William Wood, and Richard Crosse. Family and home Engleheart is generally thought to have been born in Kew, S ...

, 'miniature-painter to the king.' Thomas became Engleheart's pupil, and was employed by the royal family in copying miniatures by his master and

Richard Cosway Richard Cosway (5 November 1742 – 4 July 1821) was a leading English portrait painter of the Georgian and Regency era, noted for his miniatures. He was a contemporary of John Smart, George Engleheart, William Wood, and Richard Cross ...

. He also copied in miniature size many of the portraits by Sir

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. The art critic John Russell (art critic), John Russell called him one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy P ...

in the royal collection. His original and unsigned miniatures are numerous. Some are on ivory, others are on paper, and in many cases full or half length, with the head in colours and the rest in pencil. Though the pose of some of his figures is in the stiff manner usual at the time, the portraits are lifelike, and the drawing and expression excellent. In later years Richmond lived in the centre of fashion, 42 Half-Moon Street,

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

. From 1795 to 1825 he exhibited forty-six miniatures at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. One of his miniatures, a portrait of his wife (Ann Oram), painted in 1808, was engraved by

William Holl William Holl the Younger (February 1807 in Plaistow, Essex – 30 January 1871) was a British portrait and figure engraver, noted for his book illustrations. Life The eldest of four sons of William Holl the Elder (1771–1838), he was ta ...

, jun. His eldest son, also named

Thomas Richmond Thomas Richmond (1802–1874) was a British portrait painter, known for his idealised pictures in the so-called keepsake style. He was the son of Thomas Richmond (miniature-painter), Thomas Richmond (1771–1837), the miniature painter, an ...

, was born in 1802. His younger son, George Richmond, inherited many of his works. Both of his children also became noted artists. He died in 1837, and was buried in Paddington churchyard. He lies in the large western section changed into a public park (St Marys Gardens) in 1881. Although most stones were cleared during this process, Richmond's grave remains, lying to the north-west, however its value is greatly diminished by having been recently enclosed within an ugly metal cage.

References

;Attribution: {{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, Thomas 1771 births 1837 deaths English portrait painters Portrait miniaturists