THOMAS, Oliver

1919 - 2010

Oliver Charles Thomas was born in Kensington, London in February 1919, son of Thomas Edmund Thomas and his wife Jean née Robertson (1891-18 October 1938), eldest daughter of Sir Henry Robertson, who married at Llandderfel Parish Church, Bala, Merionethshire, Wales on 18 September 1913. In 1921 the family were living at Uphad, Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, 38-year-old Thomas, born in Calcutta, and 29-year Jean, born in Wales, and children Vyvian Elizabeth (1914-1999), born in Llangollen, David John Oliver 3, born at Beccles, Suffolk and Oliver Charles 2 and they retained seven indoor servants. Oliver was educated at Eton where he first showed an artistic bent and studied art at Chelsea School of Art, 1937-1939. By 1938 his father had purchased Manston Hall at Whepstead, Suffolk where they were living when, shortly after the death of his wife, his father Thomas and the three children sailed for Marseille, France when Oliver was noted as a 19-year-old artist. Oliver served with the Army in Malaya during the Second World War when he was taken prisoner in Java in 1942. After demobilisation, he briefly attended the art school of King's College, Newcastle and in 1949 joined Eton as a member of the Drawing Schools staff where he remained until 1972. He then concentrated full-time on his own painting and in 1980 held a solo exhibition at Eton College, Windsor and at the Bury St Edmund's Art Gallery and another in 1987 at Dunelm House, Durham, he also exhibited at the Royal Academy from Manston Hall, Whepstead, Bury St Edmund’s, Suffolk. His work is held by Liverpool University Art Collection and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery. A former director of the Bury St Edmund's Art Gallery Trust, Oliver Charles Thomas died at Bury St Edmund's on 1 February 2010.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Manston Hall, Whepstead, Bury St Edmund’s, Suffolk
1947 168 Canal and River, Oxford
1949 624 The Life Room
1973 871 Cecco’s Piano
1980 1084 Self Portrait with Knife Cleaner
1983 1184 Monthelie, Morning
1986 132 Mid-morning Bennabio
667 View from my Verandah

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Works by This Artist