Artwork
Thomas Charles, Bala
Thomas Charles, Bala is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist William Roos. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1840, this oil portrait by Welsh painter and engraver William Roos presents the Welsh cleric Thomas Charles. The work is held by the National Library of Wales and exemplifies the British Romanticism style prevalent in the early nineteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
Thomas Charles is shown seated at a table, dressed in a black coat with a white collar, his hands resting near an open book and a pair of spectacles. The composition suggests a moment of study or contemplation, emphasizing his scholarly pursuits.
Technique & Style
Roos employs a restrained palette of dark browns and muted tones, using chiaroscuro to model the figure’s face and hands. The subtle gradations of light create depth, while the warm background recedes, focusing attention on the sitter’s expression.
History & Provenance
Since its completion, the portrait has remained within Welsh institutional collections, eventually becoming part of the National Library of Wales’s holdings, where it is accessible for research and public viewing.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Roos (1808 – 4 July 1878) was a Welsh artist and engraver. Several of Roos' portraits, mainly of notable Welsh figures, are owned by the National Library of Wales.
Edward Owen AM (died 1807)
Reverend Ellis Gray
Arthur Jones, Congregationalist minister, Bangor 1776-1860
Rev Thomas Thirlwall of Bowers Gifford
Dr William Worthington 1704-1778, vicar
Reverend Thomas Thirlwall of Bowers Gifford (1764–1827)
Egbert Benson
Rev Matthew Worthington (1732-1797)
Bishop Burgess
The Artist's Father
Portrait of William Gooch.
Henry Majendie (1754-1830), Bishop of Bangor and Chester