Charles Thompson (1791–1843) was a British wood-engraver, who made a career in France.
Life
A younger brother of
John Thompson, he was born in London. He was a pupil of
John Bewick and
Allen Robert Branston, and became a wood-engraver
In 1816 Thompson found work in Paris, where he executed illustrations to many publications. His work was admired, and in 1824 he was awarded a gold medal. He introduced into France the English method of carving the end of the wood, instead of in the direction of the grain, and using the
graver instead of the knife.
The ''
atelier
An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...
'' he opened in 1817 instructed numerous French students.
Thompson died at
Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris.
History
In 1792, during the French Revolution, Bourg-la-Reine (meaning "Town of the Queen") w ...
, near Paris, on 19 May 1843, and his widow was granted a pension by the French government.
Works
Thompson produced illustration's for
Samuel Weller Singer's 1817 edition of
Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...
, in
Edward Fairfax's translation; and for Singer's ''Shakespeare'' (1826). In the 1820s he shared a place in
Peckham
Peckham ( ) is a district in south-east London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720.
History
"Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vi ...
with his brother John, but became a French resident. In Paris he worked for
Léon Curmer. He was involved in the 1835–6 edition of
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
.
Notes
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Charles
1791 births
1843 deaths
English engravers