Thomas Hickey (painter) facts for kids
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Thomas Hickey (1741–1824) was a talented Irish painter. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Noah, was a confectioner, and his mother was Anne Hickey. Thomas also had a younger brother, John, who became a sculptor. Thomas learned to paint at the Royal Dublin Society schools.
A Painter's Travels
Thomas Hickey mostly painted portraits of people and scenes from everyday life. He traveled a lot during his career. He worked in many different countries, including India, Portugal, Italy, and England. He lived in Bath, England, for a few years.
On his way to India, his ship was captured by French and Spanish fleets. This led him to Lisbon, Portugal. He stayed there for several years and received many painting jobs.
Adventures in Asia
Eventually, Thomas Hickey reached Bengal, India. He lived there until 1791 before returning to England. After that, he traveled all the way to Peking, China. He went with George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney as the official portrait painter for his special trip, known as the Macartney Embassy.
He returned to Ireland after his brother John passed away in 1796. In 1797, a doctor named Robert Emmet asked him to paint pictures of his children, Robert and Mary.
By 1798, Thomas was back in India. He arrived just as the Fourth Mysore War was starting. This war kept him very busy painting.
Painting Royal Families
In Mysore, India, he was asked to draw many sketches of the family members of Tipu Sultan, who was the ruler of Mysore. He drew portraits of Tipu's sons, uncle, and other important people. These sketches were made between 1799 and 1801 in Srirangapatna and Vellore. Thomas Hickey lived in Madras (now Chennai) until he passed away in 1824.
Hickey's Legacy
Besides being a great artist, Thomas Hickey was known for being a wonderful talker. People said he could always charm those he was painting.
You can find his paintings in many public art collections today. These include the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, the Honolulu Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Ireland, and the Tate in London. Some of his sketches can still be seen in Srirangapattana at a place called Daria Daulat Bagh.
Gallery
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Peter Rainier (1784-1836) in 1806. He became a captain at just 21 years old. This painting was made in India by Thomas Hickey.
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The Actress Elizabeth Younge with Bust of Shakespeare, painted by Thomas Hickey in 1774. It is now in the Honolulu Museum of Art.
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A portrait of David de Pury painted by Thomas Hickey.
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Thomas Hickey painted this portrait of Abbé J.A. Dubois in Madras. Dubois was a French missionary.
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A painting of Purnaiah, who was the first chief minister of Mysore. He was also an important military leader for Tipu Sultan during the wars with the British.
