MacQUOID, Percy Thomas

1852 - 1925

Percy Thomas MacQuoid was born at Chelsea, London in January 1852, son of Thomas Robert Macquoid (24 January 1820–6 April 1912), a book illustrator and watercolourist, and his wife Katharine Sarah Gadsden Thomas (26 January 1824-24 June 1917), a writer and daughter of Thomas Thomas, who married at St George's Hanover Square, London on 28 January 1851. Percy studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art, the Royal Academy Schools and in France. In 1871, Percy was a 19-year-old art student, living at Stanley Place, Kings Road, Chelsea with his parents, 51-year-old Thomas and 47-year-old Katharine, who was born at Kentish Town, London. He married at Kensington in 1877, Charlotte Thorn (1850-1931) and in 1881, a 29-year-old artist, living at 6 Redcliffe Street, Kensington with his 30-year-old wife Charlotte, who was born St George's, London, they had one son Cecil Cuthbert, who died in infancy. Percy and Charlotte divorced in 1890, with a Benjamin Lewis Mosely being cited as co-respondent and Charlotte married him the following year. Percy married secondly at Fulmer Church, Slough on 3 September 1891, Theresa Isa Dent (1858-1939), daughter of Thomas Dent. In 1901, 49-year-old Percy, describing himself as an 'artist picture painter' was living at 8 Palace Court, Bayswater Road, Paddington with his 42-year-old wife Theresa and they kept seven indoor servants. They built The Yellow House, Bayswater, London, to the designs of Sir Ernest George (1839–1922) and Harold Ainsworth Peto (1854–1933) but in the summer and autumn, Macquoid and his wife Theresa, lived at Hove Lea, overlooking the sea at Hove, Sussex. Percy's early career was as an illustrator and theatrical designer and was a favoured designer of the theatrical producer Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852-1917). A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1884-1886 but does not seem to have exhibited. In 1899 Macquoid produced decorations for the renovated St James's Theatre, King Street, London and, for the great collector Lord Leverhulme (1851-1925), Macquoid designed the 'Adam Room' for the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Liverpool. The author of articles, for 'Country Life', and of four books on the history of English furniture, which have been reprinted and are still of use today 'The Age of Oak', 'The Age of Walnut', 'The Age of Mahogany' and 'The Age of Satinwood'. Much of Macquoid's collection of English furniture, silver, paintings, porcelain, now form the 'Macquoid Bequest', furnishing a room at Preston Manor in Brighton, East Sussex. Percy Thomas MacQuoid died at The Yellow House, 8 Palace Court, Bayswater, London on 20 March 1925, aged 73.

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Works by This Artist