BRIGSTOCKE, THOMAS (1809 - 1881), portrait painter

Born 17 April 1809 at 61 King Street, Carmarthen, son of David and Mary Brigstocke. At 16 he entered Sass's drawing school at 6 Charlotte Street, Bloomsbury, and subsequently studied under H. P. Briggs and J. P. Knight before spending eight years studying and painting at Paris, Florence, Rome, and Naples. In 1847 he spent some months in Egypt where he painted portraits of Mehemet Ali and his family.

He married a widow, a Mrs. Cridland, who predeceased him, as did his only child, who died in infancy. He died 11 March 1881 at 3 Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, London, and was buried at Kensal Green.

Brigstocke was known mainly for his portraits of members of well-known South Wales families and of notable military figures, although he also painted historical pictures. He exhibited sixteen pictures at the Royal Academy between 1843 and 1865, and in 1845 he was commanded to appear before queen Victoria to exhibit his portrait of General Nott.

Portraits by Brigstocke are to be found today in private hands in England and Wales and in public ownership such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Oriental Club in Hanover Square, Carmarthen Town Hall, and Llanelly Town Hall, and engravings of his works are to be found in the N.L.W., the N.M.W., the British Museum, and other national collections.

Author

• Megan Ellis, (1906 - 2001)

Sources

• Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker, Allgemeines Lexicon der Bildenden Künstler, v, 16
• Michael Bryan, Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, i, 195
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• T. M. Rees, Welsh painters, engravers and sculptors, 1527–1911 (1912)

Further Reading

• T. Morgan, Enwogion Cymreig 1700-1900 (1907), p.32
• Wikipedia Article: Thomas Brigstocke

Works

• ArtUK: Thomas Brigstocke 1809–1881

Additional Links

• VIAF: 95797137
• Wikidata: Q7787897

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/