Thomas Walmsley 1763-1805. Landscape watercolour drawing with body-colour. Circa.1790. Possibly an as yet unidentified Irish View. 34 by 24.8 cms.
Walmsley was born in Ireland in 1763, his father, Thomas Walmsley being a Captain-Lieutenant of the 18th Dragoons, being quartered there with his Regiment at the time. Walmsley quarrelled with his family and came to London to earn his living. He studied scene-painting at the Opera-House and at The Covent Garden Theatre, later at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin. In 1790 he began to exhibit landscapes in London, where he resided until 1795, when he retired to Bath. He sent many pictures to the Royal Academy, chiefly views in Wales; but in 1796, the last year in which he exhibited, three views of Killarney. He painted chiefly in body-colour. He was skilful in painting skies, especially with a warm evening glow, which was well reproduced in the coloured aquatints by Francis Jukes and others, through which he is best known. Of these several series were published both before and after his death: views of the Dee and North Wales, 1792–4; larger views of North Wales, 1800; views of Killarney and Kenmare, 1800–2; miscellaneous British scenery, 1801; views in Bohemia, 1801; views of the Isle of Wight, 1802–3; miscellaneous Irish scenery, 1806; views in Scotland, 1810. Walmsley died at Bath in 1805.