Editing Thomas Phillips

{{Short description|English painter (1770–1845)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox artist
| name          = Thomas Phillips
| image         = Thomas Phillips by Thomas Phillips.jpg
| image_upright = 
| caption       = ''Self Portrait'' (c. 1803)
| birth_name    = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=yes|1770|10|18}}
| birth_place   = [[Dudley, England|Dudley]], [[Worcestershire]], England
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1845|4|20|1770|5|14}}
| death_place   = [[London]], England
| field         = [[Painting]]
| training      = 
| movement      = [[Romanticism]]
| works         = 
| patrons       = 
| awards        = 
}}

'''Thomas Phillips''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|RA}} (18 October 1770 – 20 April 1845) was a leading English [[Portrait painting|portrait]] and subject painter. He painted many of the notable men of the day including scientists, artists, writers, poets and explorers.

==Life and work==
[[File:Thomas Phillips, by Thomas Phillips.jpg|thumb|''Self-portrait'' (1820s)]]
Phillips was born at [[Dudley, England|Dudley]], then in [[Worcestershire]].  Having learnt glass-painting in [[Birmingham]] under [[Francis Eginton]],<ref name="dnb">{{cite DNB|no-icon=1|prescript=|volume=45|pages=216-7|url=https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofnati45stepuoft#page/216/mode/1up|title=Phillips, Thomas (1770–1845)}}</ref> he visited London in 1790 with an introduction to [[Benjamin West]], who found him employment on the painted-glass windows of [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]] at Windsor. In 1791 he became a student at the [[Royal Academy]], where, in 1792 he exhibited a view of [[Windsor Castle]], followed in the next two years by the ''Death of Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, at the Battle of Castillon'', ''Ruth and Naomi'', ''Elijah restoring the Widow's Son'', ''Cupid disarmed by Euphrosyne'', and other pictures.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Phillips, Thomas|volume=21|page=407}}</ref>

After 1796, he concentrated on portrait-painting. However, the field was very crowded with the likes of [[John Hoppner]], [[William Owen (painter)|William Owen]], [[Thomas Lawrence (painter)|Thomas Lawrence]] and [[Martin Archer Shee]] competing for business; consequently, from 1796 to 1800, his exhibited works were chiefly portraits of gentlemen and ladies, often nameless in the catalogue and of no great importance, historically speaking.<ref name="dnb" />

In 1804 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, together with his rival, William Owen. About the same time he moved to 8 George Street, [[Hanover Square, London|Hanover Square]], London, formerly the residence of [[Henry Tresham]], R.A., where he lived for the rest of his life. He became a royal academician in 1808, and presented as his diploma work ''Venus and Adonis'' (exhibited the same year), perhaps the best of his creative subjects, apart from ''Expulsion from Paradise''. Meanwhile, he rose steadily in public favour, and in 1806, painted the [[George IV|Prince of Wales]], the [[Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland|Marchioness of Stafford]], the ''Marquess of Stafford's Family'', and [[Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow|Lord Thurlow]]. In 1807 he sent to the Royal Academy the well-known portrait of [[William Blake]], now in the [[National Portrait Gallery, London]], which was [[Line engraving|engraved in line]] by [[Luigi Schiavonetti]], and later etched by [[William Bell Scott]].<ref name="dnb" />

His contributions to the academy exhibition of 1809 included a portrait of Sir [[Joseph Banks]] (engraved by Niccolo Schiavonetti), and to that of 1814, two portraits of [[Lord Byron]] (engraved by [[Robert Graves (engraver)|Robert Graves]]). In [[Royal Academy Exhibition of 1818|1818 he exhibited]] a portrait of Sir [[Francis Chantrey]], and, in 1819, one of the poet [[George Crabbe]]. His 1822 portrait of 
[[Sir Charles Asgill, 2nd Baronet|Sir Charles Asgill]] was [[Royal Academy Exhibition of 1822|exhibited at the Royal Academy]] that same year. In 1825 he was elected professor of painting at the Royal Academy, succeeding [[Henry Fuseli]], and, in order to qualify himself for his duties, visited Italy and Rome in company with [[William Hilton (painter)|William Hilton]], and also Sir [[David Wilkie (artist)|David Wilkie]], whom they met in [[Florence]]. He resigned the professorship in 1832, and in 1833 published his "Lectures on the History and Principles of Painting".<ref name="dnb" />

Phillips also painted portraits of [[Walter Scott]], [[Robert Southey]], [[George Anthony Legh Keck]] (1830), [[Thomas Campbell (poet)]], [[Joseph Henry Green]], [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]], [[Henry Hallam]], [[Mary Somerville]], Sir [[William Parry (explorer)|Edward Parry]], Sir [[John Franklin]], [[Dixon Denham]], the African traveller, and [[Hugh Clapperton]]. Besides these he painted two portraits of Sir David Wilkie, the [[Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany|Duke of York]] (for the town-hall, [[Liverpool]]), Dean [[William Buckland]], Sir [[Humphry Davy]], [[Samuel Rogers]], [[Michael Faraday]] (engraved in mezzotint by [[Henry Cousins]]), [[John Dalton]], and a head of [[Napoleon]], painted in Paris in 1802, not from actual sittings, but with Empress [[Joséphine de Beauharnais|Joséphine]]'s consent, who afforded him opportunities of observing the First Consul while at dinner. Years later in Paris, he was to portray his younger colleague [[Ary Scheffer]] (c.&nbsp;1835, [[Musée de la Vie romantique]], Paris).{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

A self-portrait, exhibited in 1844, was one of his last works.<ref name="dnb" />

Phillips wrote many occasional essays on the fine arts, especially for [[Rees's Cyclopædia|Rees's "Cyclopaedia"]], and also a memoir of [[William Hogarth]] for John Nichols's edition of that artist's "Works", 1808–17. He was a fellow of the [[Royal Society]] and of the [[Society of Antiquaries of London|Society of Antiquaries]]. He was also, with Chantrey, Turner, Robertson, and others, one of the founders of the [[Artists' General Benevolent Institution]].<ref name="dnb" />

Phillips died at 8 George Street, Hanover Square, London, on 20 April 1845, and was interred in the burial-ground of [[St. John's Wood]] chapel. He married Elizabeth Fraser of Fairfield, near Inverness. They had two daughters and two sons, the elder of whom, Joseph Scott Phillips, became a major in the Bengal artillery, and died at [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon, Surrey]], on 18 December 1884, aged 72. His younger son, [[Henry Wyndham Phillips]] (1820–1868) was a portrait painter, secretary of the "''Artists General Benevolent Institution''", and captain in the [[Artists Rifles|Artists' volunteer corps]].<ref name="dnb" />

Artist and illustrator [[John William Wright]] (1802–1848) was his pupil.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - George O'Brien Wyndham (1751–1837), 3rd Earl of Egremont, in the Uniform of the Sussex Yeomanry - 486812 - National Trust.jpg|[[George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont|Earl of Egremont]], 1799
File:Charles Dibdin by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Charles Dibdin]], 1799
File:William Blake by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[William Blake]], 1807
File:Sir Joseph Banks, Bt by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Joseph Banks]], 1810
File:Thomas Phillips - Sir David Wilkie, 1785 - 1841. Artist - PG 719 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|[[David Wilkie (artist)|David Wilkie]], {{Circa|1811}}
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - John Hely-Hutchinson, first Baron Hutchinson and second Earl of Donoughmore (1757-1832) - RCIN 402776 - Royal Collection.jpg|[[John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore]], 1811
File:Portrait of Lady Caroline Lamb (Phillips).jpg|''[[Portrait of Lady Caroline Lamb]]'', 1813
File:Lord Byron in Albanian dress.jpg|''[[Lord Byron in Albanian Dress]]'', 1813
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - HRH the Prince Regent (1762–1830), Later George IV, and Colonel Charles Wyndham (1796–1866) - 485129 - National Trust.jpg|The [[George IV|Prince Regent]] and [[Charles Wyndham (1796–1866)|Charles Wyndham]], 1813
File:Byron 1813 by Phillips.jpg|''[[Portrait of Lord Byron]]'', 1814
File:Portrait of the Duke of Wellington (Thomas Phillips).png|''[[Portrait of the Duke of Wellington (Phillips)|Portrait of the Duke of Wellington]]'', 1814
File:Thomas Phillips - Portrait of Matvei Platov - WGA17404.jpg|[[Matvei Platov]], 1814
File:Joshua Brookes by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Joshua Brookes]], 1815
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - The Allied Sovereigns at Petworth, 24 June 1814 (George, 1751–1837, 3rd Earl of Egremont, with His C - 486228 - National Trust.jpg|''[[The Allied Sovereigns at Petworth]]'', 1817
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - Robert Southey (1774–1843) - 1994.81 - Dove Cottage.jpg|[[Robert Southey]], 1818
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey - NPG 86 - National Portrait Gallery.jpg|''[[Portrait of Francis Leggatt Chantrey]]'', 1818
File:Thomas Phillips (1770-1845) - William Wyndham Grenville (1759–1834), Baron Grenville, as Chancellor of Oxford University - 486151 - National Trust.jpg|[[Lord Grenville]], 1819
File:Grey2.JPG|''[[Portrait of Earl Grey]]'', {{Circa|1820}}
File:John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham|Earl of Durham]], 1820
File:Sir Humphry Davy, Bt by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Humphry Davy]], 1821
File:Portrait of David Ricardo by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[David Ricardo]], {{Circa|1821}}
File:Sir John Franklin by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[John Franklin]], 1828
File:Thomas Phillips - Mary Fairfax, Mrs William Somerville, 1780 - 1872. Writer on science - PG 1115 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|[[Mary Somerville]], 1834
File:Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Bt by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Sir Francis Burdett]], 1834
File:John Dalton by Thomas Phillips, 1835.jpg|[[John Dalton]], 1835
File:John Lothrop Motley by Thomas Phillips, c. 1835, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-6600016A 2.jpg|[[John Lothrop Motley]], {{Circa|1835}}
File:Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex]], {{Circa|1838}}
File:Thomas Arnold by Thomas Phillips.jpg|[[Thomas Arnold]], 1839
File:Portait of Michael Faraday2.png|''[[Portrait of Michael Faraday]]'', 1842
</gallery>

== Sources ==
{{Free-content attribution
| title = Dictionary of national biography
| author = Graves, R.E.
| publisher = Smith, Elder, and Co.
| page numbers = 216-217
| source = Internet Archive
| documentURL = https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati45stepuoft/page/217/mode/1up
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/phillips_thomas.html Thomas Phillips online] (''ArtCyclopedia'')
* [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/portraits/artists/phillips.html Biography of Thomas Philips] (The Walter Scott Digital Archive, Edinburgh University Library)
* {{Art UK bio}}

{{Thomas Phillips}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Thomas}}
[[Category:1770 births]]
[[Category:1845 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century English painters]]
[[Category:18th-century English painters]]
[[Category:English male painters]]
[[Category:English portrait painters]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:English Orientalist painters]]
[[Category:People from Dudley]]
[[Category:Royal Academicians]]
[[Category:18th-century English male artists]]
[[Category:19th-century English male artists]]