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Thomas Birch (1779 – January 3, 1851), was an English-born American portrait and marine painter. Birch was born in London, England. He came to the U. S. in 1794, and assisted his artist father, William Birch, in preparing a 29-plate collection of engravings:''Birch's Views of Philadelphia'' (1800).〔(Birch's Views ) from ushistory.org.〕 Subscribers to the series included President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson.〔William Birch, ''The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania as It Appeared in the Year 1800'', (1799), endpiece.〕 This sold well and went into multiple editions, inspiring similar collected views of New York City, and of suburban estates surrounding Philadelphia and Baltimore. The son's first major painting appears to have been a view of Philadelphia from the Treaty Elm in Kensington, which was also engraved and published in 1804.〔Munsing, ''Philadelphia: Three Centuries'', p. 229.〕 He painted portraits until about 1807, when he took up marine-painting. Some of his most famous works depict naval battles of the War of 1812.〔''Universal Cyclopædia & Atlas'', 1902, New York, D. Appleton & Co.〕 "Birch was the first American ship portraitist, and his paintings were copied by countless artists and craftsmen in America and Europe."〔Munsing, ''Philadelphia: Three Centuries'', p. 230.〕 In addition to ships, they provide valuable images of bridges, lighthouses, docksides, and harbor fortifications in the Early Republic, especially those surrounding New York City and Philadelphia. His paintings of suburban mansions and rural snow scenes were often turned into engravings. Historically, the Birches' most important work may be a circa-1801 engraving documenting the unfinished U.S. Capitol. Another, may be the son's painting depicting an 1812 naval battle between USS ''United States'' and HMS ''Macedonian'', that hung in the Oval Office of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. It was sold at auction in 2008, setting a record price for the artist of $481,000.〔(''USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian'' (1813) ) from Sotheby's Auction, 22 May 2008.〕 An assessment from 1867:
He exhibited regularly at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for forty years, beginning in 1811, and managed the museum, 1812-17.〔Gerdts, Philadelphia Maritime Museum, pp. 12-13.〕 His work is collected at PAFA,〔(PAFA ); accessed January 29, 2007〕 the Library Company of Philadelphia,〔(LCP ); accessed January 6, 2010〕 the Philadelphia Museum of Art,〔(PMA ); accessed January 6, 2010〕 the Smithsonian American Art Museum,〔(si.edu ); accessed January 29, 2007〕 the U.S. Naval Academy,〔(USNA ); accessed January 6, 2010〕 and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,〔(mfa.org ); accessed January 29, 2007〕 among others. In 1833, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary member. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ==Gallery== File:Brooklyn Museum - Shipwreck - Thomas Birch - overall.jpg|Thomas Birch, ''Shipwreck,'' 1829. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum Image:U.S.S. Wasp Boarding H.M Brig Frolic.jpg|USS ''Wasp'' boarding HMS ''Frolic'', 1815, Peabody Essex Museum File:Sedgeley Park.JPG|''Sedgeley Park, Philadelphia'', 1819, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. File:Mouth of the Delaware by Thomas Birch, 1828.jpg|''Mouth of the Delaware'', 1828, White House Historical Association, Washington, D.C. File:View of the Delaware near Philadelphia by Thomas Birch, 1831 - Corcoran Gallery of Art - DSC01111.JPG| ''View of the Delaware near Philadelphia'', 1831, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. File:Thomas Birtch On the Shrewsbury River, Redbank, New Jersey.jpg|''On the Shrewsbury River, Redbank, New Jersey'', 1840 File:'An American Shore Scene' by Thomas Birch, 1827.jpg|''An American Shore Scene'', 1831 File:Packet ship in a stormy sea Thomas Birch.jpg|''packet ship in a stormy sea'', 1849 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum File:Boats navigating the waves Thomas Birch.jpg|''boats navigating the waves'', ca 1828 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum File:View of the Philadelphia Navy Yard Thomas Birch.jpg|''view of the Philadelphia Navy Yard'', 1835 in the collection at The Mariners' Museum 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Birch (artist)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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