| Description | Portrait painting of a seated Thomas Healey (Jnr) [born c.1840 and died c.1930].
Healey was a violinist who played his instrument to test the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall at a concert on 3 December 1870 in the presence of HM Queen Victoria, a few months before she formally opened the Hall in March 1871.
Healey was brought up in Burnley, Lancashire. His last address was 108 Mortlake Road, Kew Gardens, London. He died a widower aged 90 years with four surviving children.
In an obituary [unknown publication and date] it is stated that he was the son of the late Mr Thomas Healey, known as the "father of Burnley musicians", and that he himself was a violinist of ability and a member of the old Burnley Choral Society. He was awarded the Prince Consort's Gold Medal and purse of gold in 1865 for having gained more first-class certificates in science and art subjects than any other student in the country.
His abilities were recognised when he was appointed by the Board of Education to a position in the science and arts department at South Kensington, a position he held until failing eyesight necessitated his retirement at the age of 60 years. He was a cousin of Mr F A Hargreaves JP and Mr Thomas Hargreaves of Burnley.
It is believed the portrait was painted to mark the time of his retirement and shows a bearded Healey seated and wearing gold rimmed spectacles, three piece suit and a gold fob watch. |
| Creator Name | Thomas Wood Holgate (1869-1954).
Thomas Wood Holgate was born in Lancashire and moved to London to study art. His pictures were much exhibited in the years before 1914 and in London and Cornwall thereafter. Holgate also taught music at Trinity College, London. In retirement Holgate moved to Cornwall, and with his Cornish wife spent the last 25 years of his life. Holgate was most well-known for his portraits but also painted fine small scale oils of the countryside, of the sea, of cliffs, of buildings and of churches around Cornwall.
A retrospective of his work was held at Falmouth Art Gallery in 2013 and a book published by Stephen Tyrrell in the same year (ISBN: 978-0-9570311-3-5). |