Thomas Keyse facts for kids

Thomas Keyse (1722–1800) was an English artist known for his still life paintings. He also owned and ran a popular entertainment spot called Bermondsey Spa.

The Life of Thomas Keyse

Thomas Keyse was an artist who taught himself how to paint. He became a member of the Free Society of Artists. This was a group where artists could show their work. Keyse displayed his paintings there from 1761 to 1764. He mostly painted still life pictures. These are paintings of objects like flowers or fruit.

From 1765 to 1768, he also showed his art at the Society of Artists. He even sent two pictures to the famous Royal Academy. In 1768, Keyse won an award from the Society of Arts. He received it for a new way he found to set crayon drawings.

Bermondsey Spa: A Fun Place

Around 1770, Keyse opened a special tea-garden in Bermondsey. At that time, Bermondsey was a suburb outside London. A special spring had been found there. This spring had water with iron in it, called a chalybeate spring. Because of this spring, the area became known as the Bermondsey Spa.

At his gardens, Keyse offered many fun things to do. He had a permanent exhibition where people could always see his own drawings. He got a special license for music. This allowed him to make his gardens similar to the famous Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. These gardens were open in the evenings during the summer. Keyse also put on amazing fireworks shows. One of his most famous displays was a large fireworks scene. It showed the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which was a big battle. Keyse himself designed and built this display.

Keyse passed away at his gardens on February 8, 1800. He was 78 years old. The gardens stayed open for about five more years after he died. They even gave their name to a street nearby, now called Spa Road in Bermondsey.

See also

• Bermondsey Spa Gardens