Thomas Engleheart facts for kids

Thomas Engleheart (1745–1809) was an English artist who made sculptures and models from wax. He was known for creating detailed portraits and figures.

Early Life and Training

Thomas Engleheart was born in 1745. His father was Francis Engleheart of Kew. Thomas was also the older brother of George Engleheart, who became a famous miniature painter for King George III.

Thomas studied art at the Royal Academy in London. This was a very important art school at the time.

Winning the Gold Medal

In 1772, Thomas Engleheart took part in a big competition. He competed against another famous artist named John Flaxman. The Royal Academy offered a gold medal for the best "bas-relief" sculpture. A bas-relief is a type of sculpture where the figures stick out only a little from a flat background.

Thomas created a bas-relief showing "Ulysses and Nausicaa" from ancient Greek stories. He won the gold medal! This was a great achievement for him.

Later Works and Exhibitions

In 1777, Thomas won another award from the Society of Arts. This time, it was for a very tall model. It showed John the Baptist in the desert and was six feet (about 1.8 meters) tall.

From 1773 to 1786, Thomas Engleheart showed many of his wax sculptures at the Royal Academy. These included "busts," which are sculptures of a person's head and shoulders.

Thomas Engleheart was known as a very religious person with strong beliefs. He passed away in 1809.

Famous Wax Portraits

Some of Thomas Engleheart's wax portraits are still famous today. You can find wax portraits he made of King George III and Queen Charlotte in the Royal Collection. This is a special collection of art owned by the British royal family.

Another one of his works is an oval medallion. It shows Edward, Duke of Kent, who was a son of King George III. Thomas made this red wax model in 1786. You can see it at the National Portrait Gallery in London.