Thomas Frye facts for kids

A self-portrait by Thomas Frye, painted in 1759.

Thomas Frye (born around 1710, died 1762) was a talented artist from Ireland and England. He was famous for painting portraits using oil and pastel, and also for creating special prints called mezzotints. Frye was also important in making porcelain (a type of fine china) in England. He helped start the Bow porcelain factory in London. He even said he was the first person to invent and make porcelain in England! However, another factory, the Chelsea porcelain factory, might have sold their porcelain first. The Bow factory closed soon after Frye passed away.

Thomas Frye's Early Life and Art

Thomas Frye was born in 1710 in Edenderry, County Offaly, Ireland. When he was young, he moved to London to become an artist. Some of his first known artworks are two pastel portraits of boys, created in 1734.

In 1736, he painted a large portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales, for a group called the Worshipful Company of Saddlers. He later made a special print of this painting in 1741 using a technique called mezzotint.

Starting the Bow Porcelain Factory

Thomas Frye was not just an artist; he was also a clever inventor. In November 1745, he teamed up with a London merchant named Edward Heylyn. Together, they got a special permission, called a patent, to use kaolin. This was a special type of clay brought from the English colony of Virginia.

Frye then became the manager of the Bow porcelain factory. This factory started making porcelain in the 1740s. He played a big part in creating and producing porcelain in England.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1759, Thomas Frye moved to Wales because of his health, especially his lungs. But he soon returned to London. He started working as an engraver again, creating more of his famous life-size portraits using the mezzotint technique. These prints are what many people remember him for today.

Thomas Frye sadly passed away on April 2, 1762, from a lung illness. He was buried in Hornsey.

Thomas Frye's Family

Thomas Frye had five children. His two daughters helped him paint the porcelain at the Bow factory until they got married. One of his daughters married a Mr. Willcox. She later worked for another famous pottery maker, Josiah Wedgwood, at his Etruria factory. She painted figures on porcelain from 1759 until her death in 1776.

Images for kids

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  Girl Building a House of Cards, thought to be by Thomas Frye.

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  An old woman leaning on a crutch. This is a mezzotint print from a series called 'Twelve heads drawn from nature and as large of life', made in London in 1760.

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  A self-portrait by Thomas Frye. This is also a mezzotint from his 'Twelve heads' series, made in London in 1760.

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  A mezzotint print of Queen Charlotte of Great Britain, made in London in 1762.