Thomas Henry (French artist)

Bust of Thomas Henry by Jean-Pierre Dantan, Musée Thomas-Henry, 1845

Thomas Henry (March 2, 1766 - January 7, 1836) was a French painter and art patron.

After studies in his hometown, Henry, while traveling, was forced due to a storm release in Bordeaux, where he settled and became a partner with a merchant who sent him to Santo Domingo. He returned to France after the Haitian Revolution, and learned the restoration of paintings from fellow artists. He was a pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault. He acquired during his travels in Italy, Belgium and England, great expertise, which led hm to be appointed Commissioner of the Royal Museums.

Portrait de jeune femme (Portrait of a young girl) by Thomas Henry, Musée Thomas-Henry

Having had a personal collection of old masters, and feeling his death was near, he began starting in 1831 to "light the torch of the arts" in his hometown by anonymously sending parcels to the municipality in order to provide a worthy collection. this collection included works of the Spanish school of Flemish Primitives. On July 29, 1835, the city of Cherbourg-Octeville was able to inaugurate a museum containing 163 works, estimated at 120,000 francs, donated by Henry.

References

• Charles White, The Treasure of curiosity, Paris, Renouard, 1858

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