Thomas Beach (painter) facts for kids
Thomas Beach (born 1738, died 1806) was a talented British artist. He was famous for painting portraits, which are pictures of people. He even learned from a very famous painter named Sir Joshua Reynolds.
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Early Life and Art Training
Thomas Beach was born in a place called Milton Abbas in Dorset, England, in 1738. From a very young age, he loved art and showed a great talent for it.
When he was about 22 years old, in 1760, he got a special chance. A rich family, the Earl of Dorchester's family, helped him. This allowed him to become a student of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Reynolds was one of the most important painters in Britain at that time! Thomas Beach also studied at the St. Martin's Lane Academy, which was a famous art school.
Painting Portraits
After his training, Thomas Beach moved to Bath. Bath was a very popular and stylish town where many rich people went for holidays. Because of this, many people wanted him to paint their portraits. He became very busy painting pictures of individuals and groups, often making them a smaller size.
Famous People He Painted
Thomas Beach painted the famous actress Sarah Siddons several times.
- In 1781 or 1782, he painted her sitting down, wearing everyday clothes, and holding a book.
- Later in 1782, he painted her again in a more artistic way. This painting was inspired by a poem called Il Penseroso by John Milton. In this picture, Sarah Siddons looked like the feeling of Melancholy (a thoughtful sadness).
- In 1787, he painted a very dramatic scene. It showed Mrs. Siddons and another actor, John Philip Kemble, in a famous scene from the play Macbeth. Sarah Siddons herself said that her brother's (John Kemble's) face in the painting was "the finest I have ever seen."
Exhibitions and Later Life
Thomas Beach was a member of an art group called the Incorporated Society of Artists. He showed his paintings in their exhibitions from 1772 to 1783.
He also showed his art at the Royal Academy every year from 1785 to 1790. Later, in 1797, he sent a portrait of the Prince of Wales to the exhibition. At that time, he was living near Kew in London.
Many of Beach's portraits were made into prints by other artists. This helped more people see and own copies of his work.
Thomas Beach passed away in Dorchester, Dorset, on December 17, 1806.
His paintings are still important today. For example, the National Portrait Gallery in London has a portrait he painted of William Woodfall, who was one of the first people to report on what happened in Parliament.
