Thomas Edwards (artist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edwards was an artist in 19th-century Boston
, Massachusetts
, specializing in portraits. Born in London and trained at the Royal Academy
, he worked in Boston in the 1820s-1850s, and in Worcester
in the 1860s.
,, then on Market Street/Cornhill, Tremont Street
(Tremont Temple
), and Tremont Row
. In the mid-1850s he may have travelled in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, producing drawings of landscapes and the like.
He "was a frequent exhibitor in the early years of the Boston Athenaeum." He also exhibited with the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
in 1847 ("...Two landscapes. Rather heavy in style"); and with the New England Art Union
in 1851 and 1852. In 1855 he exhibited at No.43 Tremont Row, Boston, "a collection of about 75 landscapes and other original compositions ... all finished by him during the last few years. The subjects are chiefly views of American scenery, mostly in New England, a few views in the Western states, White Mountains
, and other interesting local scenes, all painted from sketches taken on the spot."
Edwards was among the first wave of artists creating drawings intended for lithographic printing. In Boston he drew for Pendleton's Lithography
in the 1820s. Other early lithographic artists in Boston included Francis Alexander
, D.C. Johnston
, William Hoogland
, and J.R. Penniman
. Edwards also drew for Annin, Smith and Co's Lithography
, and "the Senefelder Lithographic Co. in 1830, along with artists Hazen Morse and John Chorley." Prints historian Frank Weitenkampf
writes "Thomas Edwards, of Boston, was one of the first to draw in the crayon manner, and in portraits such as the one of James Tilton
, M.D., the hesitation, the want of familiarity with the new medium is quite apparent. His Jacob Perkins
(1826, printed by Pendleton) is already more free in execution." In the late 1820s he contributed to the plate illustrations that appeared occasionally in the Boston-based weekly Bower of Taste
.
Often painted in miniature, or drawn to be printed lithographically, portrait subjects included:
Edwards' friends and associates included Thomas Robbins
. "James Kidder [1793-1837] and Thomas Edwards shared a studio in Boston in 1831." Students included E.M. Carpenter.
He died in Charlestown, Massachusetts
in 1869.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, specializing in portraits. Born in London and trained at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, he worked in Boston in the 1820s-1850s, and in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
in the 1860s.
Biography
Edwards kept a studio in Boston on Winter StreetWinter Street (Boston)
Winter Street in Boston, Massachusetts is located between Tremont Street and Washington Street, near the Common. It is currently a pedestrian zone. Prior to 1708, it was called Blott's Lane and then Bannister's Lane.-See also:* Downtown Crossing...
,, then on Market Street/Cornhill, Tremont Street
Tremont Street
Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts.-Etymology:The name is a variation of one of the original appellations of the city, "Trimountaine," a reference to a hill that formerly had three peaks. Beacon Hill, with its single peak, is all that remains of the Trimountain...
(Tremont Temple
Tremont Temple
The Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA. The existing structure opened in May 1896 and was designed by architect Clarence Blackall.-History:...
), and Tremont Row
Tremont Row
Tremont Row in Boston, Massachusetts, was a short street that flourished in the 19th and early-20th centuries. It was located near the intersection of Court, Tremont, and Cambridge streets, in today's Government Center area. It existed until the 1920s, when it became known as Scollay Square...
. In the mid-1850s he may have travelled in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, producing drawings of landscapes and the like.
He "was a frequent exhibitor in the early years of the Boston Athenaeum." He also exhibited with the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association of Boston, Massachusetts, was "formed for the sole purposes of promoting the mechanic arts and extending the practice of benevolence." Founding members included Paul Revere, Benjamin Russell, and others...
in 1847 ("...Two landscapes. Rather heavy in style"); and with the New England Art Union
New England Art Union
The New England Art Union was established in Boston, Massachusetts for "the encouragement of artists, the promotion of art" in New England and the wider United States. Edward Everett, Franklin Dexter, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow served as officers of the board. The short-lived but lively...
in 1851 and 1852. In 1855 he exhibited at No.43 Tremont Row, Boston, "a collection of about 75 landscapes and other original compositions ... all finished by him during the last few years. The subjects are chiefly views of American scenery, mostly in New England, a few views in the Western states, White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
, and other interesting local scenes, all painted from sketches taken on the spot."
Edwards was among the first wave of artists creating drawings intended for lithographic printing. In Boston he drew for Pendleton's Lithography
Pendleton's Lithography
Pendleton's Lithography was a lithographic print studio in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, established by brothers William S. Pendleton and John B. Pendleton . Though relatively short-lived, in its time the firm was prolific, printing portraits, landscape views, sheet music covers, and...
in the 1820s. Other early lithographic artists in Boston included Francis Alexander
Francis Alexander
Francis Alexander was an American portrait-painter.He was born in Killingly, Connecticut. Brought up on a farm, he taught himself the use of colors, and in 1820 went to New York City and studied painting with Alexander Robertson. He spent the winters of 1831 and 1832 in Rome...
, D.C. Johnston
David Claypoole Johnston
David Claypoole Johnston was an 19th-century American cartoonist, printmaker, painter and actor from Boston, Massachusetts...
, William Hoogland
William Hoogland
William Hoogland was an engraver in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York in the early 19th-century. "Career obscure; but was a designer and engraver of banknotes in New York in 1815." In Boston, contemporaries included Abel Bowen, Annin & Smith, and J.V. Throop. He taught engraving to Joseph...
, and J.R. Penniman
John Ritto Penniman
John Ritto Penniman was a painter in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He created portraits, landscapes, and allegorical paintings, as well as designs for engravings, such as the official seal of the city of Boston in 1822. He also worked as an assistant to Gilbert Stuart. Penniman died in 1841 in...
. Edwards also drew for Annin, Smith and Co's Lithography
Annin & Smith
Annin & Smith was an engraving firm in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th-century, established by William B. Annin and George Girdler Smith. The firm kept offices on Court Street and Cornhill.-Works with engravings by Annin & Smith:...
, and "the Senefelder Lithographic Co. in 1830, along with artists Hazen Morse and John Chorley." Prints historian Frank Weitenkampf
Frank Weitenkampf
Frank Weitenkampf, , was an American authority on engraving and a library official, born in New York State, where he studied for two years at the Art Students' League....
writes "Thomas Edwards, of Boston, was one of the first to draw in the crayon manner, and in portraits such as the one of James Tilton
James Tilton
James Tilton was an American physician and soldier from Dover, Delaware. He was a delegate for Delaware in the Continental Congress of 1783 and 1784, and served as Surgeon General of the United States Army during the War of 1812.James was born in 1745 to Thomas Tilton, a farmer in Kent County,...
, M.D., the hesitation, the want of familiarity with the new medium is quite apparent. His Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins was an Anglo-American inventor, mechanical engineer and physicist. Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Perkins was apprenticed to a goldsmith...
(1826, printed by Pendleton) is already more free in execution." In the late 1820s he contributed to the plate illustrations that appeared occasionally in the Boston-based weekly Bower of Taste
Bower of Taste
The Bower of Taste was a periodical edited by Katherine Augusta Ware in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century. Contributors included Albert Pike, Thomas Edwards and Margaret Snow." The bi-weekly magazine ceased in May 1830.-History:...
.
Often painted in miniature, or drawn to be printed lithographically, portrait subjects included:
- Edward Beecher
- Samuel A. Bumstead
- Alonzo Chapin
- Mary Ann T Chapin
- R.M. Copeland
- Sarah Ann Curtis
- Eleanor Davis
- Brown Emerson
- John Foster
- Samuel Green
- Franklin Haven
- Jedidiah MorseJedidiah MorseJedidiah Morse was a notable geographer whose textbooks became a staple for students in the United States. He was the father of Samuel F. B. Morse, the man who developed Morse code.-Early life and education:...
- Nathan Parker
- Jacob Perkins, inventor
- Stephen Salisbury
- James Tilton, physician
- John Webster
- Samuel Porter Williams
Edwards' friends and associates included Thomas Robbins
Thomas Robbins (minister)
Rev. Thomas Robbins, D.D. was a Congregational minister, a bibliophile, and an antiquarian. He became the first librarian of the Connecticut Historical Society.-Early years:...
. "James Kidder [1793-1837] and Thomas Edwards shared a studio in Boston in 1831." Students included E.M. Carpenter.
He died in Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
in 1869.
Further reading
- Catalogue of Pictures in the Gallery of Paintings, at the First Exhibition, Providence, R.I. August 1, 1829. Works by Thomas were included in the show.
- Catalogue of the First Semi-Annual Exhibition of Paintings, in the Gallery of the Massachusetts Academy of Fine Arts, No. 37 1-2 Tremont Row. Boston. Boston: Printed by Dutton and Wentworth, No. 37, Congress Street. 1853. Works by Thomas were included in the show.
- Alice Van Leer Carrick. Shades of our ancestors: American profiles and profilists. Little, Brown, and Company, 1928.