BARBIZON HOUSE

1918 - ?

David Croal Thomson was born in Edinburgh on 24 October 1855. He studied drawing and painting in Edinburgh, where he also apprenticed as a print seller and artist's colourman (1867), and went on to manage Hill's Picture Gallery and its art publications 1872-1880 and then went to Paris to continue his studies in art. In September 1880, he became the sub-editor in London, of 'The Year's Art' assisting M. B. Huish until 1885, he also published several papers in the 'Scotsman' and authored its annual articles on the Paris Salon and from 1881-1888 he was the sub-editor of the 'Art Journal' and served as editor from 1892-1902. He served as representative in London to the Paris house of Boussod Valadon & Co. 1885-1897 and was the first director of the Goupil Gallery in London and from 1898 until 1908 Thomson worked with the London house of Agnew & Sons Gallery and was a partner in the firm for six years. From 1909 to 1918 he served as a partner in the French Gallery, which mounted exhibitions of the works of Henry Raeburn, William Maris, Joseph Israels, Anton Mauve, Fantin-Latour and Lhermitte. He went on to become the sole proprietor of Barbizon House at 8 Henrietta Street, Cavendish Square in London's Mayfair, from 1918 until 1924, a semi-private residence that showed examples of the Barbizon School of painters. His son Lockett Thomson (1898-1990) joined him as partner in 1924 when his son took over. Croal Thomson examined public and private art collections in Great Britain, France and throughout the continent and visited Canada and the United States several times. His publications include, Life and Work of Thomas Bewick, 1882; Life and Work of H. K. Browne ("Phiz"), 1884; Barbizon School of Painters, 1890; Corot, 1892; Luke Fildes, R.A., 1895; Fifty Years of Art, 1899; Paris Exhibition, 1900; The Brothers Maris, 1907; Landscapes of Corot, 1911; Matthew Maris: a souvenir, 1918; and the much-famed magazine 'Barbizon House: an illustrated record', ran from 1919 until 1938 and depicted a large amount of the artworks covering all periods that were shown in his gallery. He also contributed to the Encyclopedia Britannica and other art periodicals. Thomson married Alice Mary Halton in 1884 and had four sons, William Lockett Halton, Herbert, David, and Walter; and five daughters, Evelyne, Irene, Millicent, Marian and Elsie. David Croal Thomson died in 1930. Suffolk artists who exhibited at Barbican House include Bertram Nicholls, Henry George Rushbury and Algernon Mayow Talmage.

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Works by This Artist