Thomas Birch (artist)
Thomas Birch (* 1779 in London, England; † January 3, 1851 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a portrait and marine painter.
Life and work
He came to the United States in 1794 and assisted his father, the painter William Birch, in preparing a collection of 29 engravings: " Birch 's Views of Philadelphia " (1799 ). Among the subscribers to the series included President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. The series sold well and was launched multiple times. Inspired by this created similar series of New York City, the suburbs of Philadelphia and Baltimore.
His first major painting was probably a view of Philadelphia from the Treaty Elm in Kensington, which was also published as an engraving in 1804. Until about 1807 he painted portraits and then began with the Marine Painting. Some of his most famous works depict battles of the War of 1812.
" Birch what the first American ship portraitist, and his paintings were copied by countless artists and craftsmen in America and Europe. " " Birch was the first American ship portraitist, and his works were copied by countless Americans and Europeans. " In addition to ships show his pictures bridges, lighthouses, docks and harbor fortifications of the early republic, especially from around New York and Philadelphia. His paintings of suburban and rural scenes often served as models for engravings.
Under historical point of his most important work was probably his engraving (about 1801) of the unfinished Capitol in Washington. Also significant is his painting of 1812 he battle between the USS United States and HMS Macedonian, that hung Office of John F. Kennedy in the Oval. It was sold in 2008 to a personal record price of U.S. $ 481 000.
Since 1811 Birch turned 40 years regularly at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ( PAFA ) and directed the museum from 1812 to 1817. The PAFA gathers his works, as well as the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the U.S. Naval Academy and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Gallery
Sedgeley Park, Philadelphia, 1819, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Mouth of the Delaware, 1828
On the Shrewsbury River, Redbank, New Jersey, 1840