William Thomson (artist)

Thomson's final show in 1988 was an exhibition of his portraits of children. The art critic, Max Wykes-Joyce, wrote, "Nowhere anything too pretty or oversweet, just active, breathing, and on the whole mischievous beings limned to the life. It's a good, good show."

Thomson lived in Chelsea for all of his life in London, and was chairman of the Chelsea Arts Club from 1975 to 1977. His passions did not stop at painting, with the Times describing him as "a man with many and varied talents, an accomplished pianist and guitarist."

Between 1955 and 1987, Thomson had nineteen solo exhibitions in the UK and Canada, and his work was regularly exhibited at group exhibitions, including at The Royal Academy of Arts which nominated him for membership in 1976. In 1988, the year he died, all three of the paintings he submitted for the Summer Exhibition were exhibited.

Thomson's first solo exhibition was in 1955 at The St George's Gallery. The art critic, Eric Newton, wrote, "Thomson deals with the undramatic domesticities that were first discovered by Degas, were developed by Sickert and the Camden Town School, and were later taken over by the Euston Road painters. Thomson handles them with quiet reverence, never forcing his chairs or tables into theatrical situations. Each of his pictures is organised with the greatest care for balance of tone, and each one has a carefully calculated pictorial unity."

In 1953, he gained his first teaching post at Heatherley School of Art. In 1957, Oskar Kokoschka, invited him to study at the Salzburg Summer School, where he went on to teach as one of four assistants until the school ended in 1963. In 1964, he became a senior lecturer in drawing and painting at Maidstone College of Art, Kent. Thomson went on to teach at Central School of Art and Design, London, where he maintained a life class until 1986.

Thomson was 21 when he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy Schools, London. He then transferred to the Royal College of Art, where his teachers included Francis Bacon, Rodrigo Moynihan and Robert Buhler, graduating in 1952. In 1953, he worked at his painting, took portrait commissions, plus a mural commission from the Johnson-Matthey Corporation, and exhibited pictures in mixed shows around the country, working towards his own view of the world, with particular interest in the human form.

Thomson appeared in four episodes of the television series, The Art Game, a general knowledge art quiz. He also worked on the panel for the BBC art history series, Monitor. In the 1950s and 1960s, he played various roles in television and films, including BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Para Handy - Master Mariner (1959) and Three Ring Circus (1961). During the 1970s, he produced and presented art documentaries for the BBC, including Monitor (Summer in Salzburg), Canvas (Rembrandt's "Family Group", "Lady Howe: Gainsborough" and Turner's "The Fighting Temeraire") and Release (about artist, Ben Nicholson).

Between 1949 and 1961, Thomson was married to Margaret Williamson, the daughter of Tarka The Otter author, Henry Williamson. In 1975, he married fashion model and knitwear designer, Jacqueline Craven, with whom he had a daughter and a son.

After studying at Hillfield School, Upper Canada College, Toronto and McMaster University, he served with the RCNVR from 1943 to 1945. He graduated from Ontario College of Art with the Governor General's 'Gold Medal' in 1947—having studied under the artist, John Alfsen.

William Robinson Thomson RBA, ARCA (born 24 January 1926 – 1988) was a British artist within the Modern British school of the late twentieth century. He is known for his portraiture and paintings of the female nude. Major influences on his work included Rembrandt, Degas and Cezanne.