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Thomas Le Clear

Thomas Le Clear started to display his talents very early as a child. He would sell ideal heads painted on rough boards to the neighbors even before he became a teenager. He met with different success wherever he went. In 1839, he had settled in New York and most of his professional work was spent there.

Thomas Le Clear Biography

Thomas Le Clear was one who got his reputation quite early in his life. He was born with his talents and even started selling his paintings at a very tender age. Among the paintings was one of Saint Matthew that was sold at the age of 12.

Thomas Le Clear
Thomas Le Clear

But he did not stop to learn and grow. He kept teaching himself by studying the paintings that were made by other artists. He had moved to London in Ontario, Canada at the age of 14 with his father.

Life and Career of Thomas Le Clear

He stayed there painting portraits and selling them. He moved to Elmira and Rochester but continued to paint pictures. Thomas Le Clear finally moved to New York City in 1839. He was about twenty-one then.

Thomas Le Clear - Boys Fishing

This is where he received the guidance of Henry Inman. He resided in Buffalo from 1844 to 1860. He was also a founding member of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy. After some time, he returned to New York City in the early 1860s. He was elected a National Academician in 1863.

Thomas Le Clear’s Genre

He painted numerous portraits. One of the best portraits that he had ever produced was that of George Bancroft at the Century Club in New York City.

He had also produced some other sensational portraits. These portraits were of Bayard Taylor, Edwin Booth as Hamlet, Millard Fillmore, and William Cullen Bryant.

Thomas Le Clear: Young America
Thomas Le Clear: Young America

Le Clear has also been known for the genre scenes that included Interior with Portraits. Some others included those of Dr. Vinton, E. W. Stoughton, Daniel R. Dickinson, Gifford, and Mc Entee. Some of the compositions that have brought Thomas Le Clear widespread fame are Marble Players, The Reprimand, and Itinerants.

Individual Style of Thomas Le Clear

It has been said that the paintings he had exhibited at the Royal Academy were among the best. They had a lot of grace and color and a pleasing tone. A lot of individuality can also be found in the paintings. The paintings also portrayed many of the rare qualities that can be found in great portraiture.

He could bring out a remarkable power of characterization and a peculiar skill in color and he could offer minute authenticity in the reproduction of talent. Some other superficial personal traits could also be found.

The fine finish and the middle tint are also some of the characteristics of his work. The paintings could surely charm the beholders. The elegance would be enough to tell onlookers why the artist received marked praise during the exhibitions in the British Royal Academy.