Thomas Clement Thompson (1780 – 11 February 1857) was an Irish artist and a founder member of the

Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the Royal Irish Academy, the academy retained the word "Royal" after mo ...

. Thomas Thompson was born in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

in 1780. He embarked on a career as a painter of

portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting from Renaissance art, usually executed in gouache, Watercolor painting, watercolor, or Vitreous enamel, enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illumin ...

s in Belfast and

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

after studying art at the Dublin Society Schools from 1796. Some time between 1803 and 1809, he changed tack to specialise in large-scale portraiture, although he did paint some landscapes. By around 1817 he had moved from the successful studio he had established in Dublin to a new studio in London and was exhibiting 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 ...

, an institution at whose exhibitions he regularly featured until 1847. An elected founder member of the Royal Hibernian Academy, he also exhibited there on occasion between 1826–52. Thompson moved his home from London to

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

in 1848. There he died from

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

on 11 February 1857. People who sat for Thompson include

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

, as well as many people from high society and politics.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Thomas Clement 18th-century births 1857 deaths Artists from Belfast Irish portrait painters Irish landscape painters Deaths from bronchitis 19th-century Irish painters Irish male painters 19th-century Irish male artists