User:Aedis1/Art217

Thomas Bromley Blacklock (1863 - 1903) was a Scottish painter.

Life
His father was John Blacklock (c. 1826 - 1913), a teacher from Kirkcudbright.

His mother was Eliza Mary Bromley (born c. 1831) from Deptford in Kent, England.

He was born Thomas William Bromley Blacklock in Kirkcudbright on 8 May 1863.

Death
Blacklock tried to kill himself on the 9 September 1903, but on that occasion he was rescued, the local newspaper reporting that Blacklock accidentally fell into the water.

From Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette of Wednesday 09 September 1903: IMMERSION AT PRINCES PIER. About half-past eight o’clock this morning Thomas Blacklock. artist, 108 George Street, Edinburgh, while walking along the edge of the quay at Princes Pier accidentally fell into the water. was rescued from his perilous position John Crawford, railway porter, and James Stewart storeman, and afterwards conveyed in the residence of Mr Peter Kerr, Forsyth Street.

Blacklock tried again the following day. An artist friend stayed with him on the night of 9th September and thought that the danger was over. However he awoke the next morning to find Blacklock gone and found an accompanying note. Blacklock's body cast up on the Greenock beach on 28 September 1903.

From Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette of Tuesday 29 September 1903: THE LATE MR T. B. BLACKLOCK, ARTIST. It is very distressing (says to-day’s “Scotsman”) to have to chronicle the death of another Scottish artist—vis., Mr T. B. Blacklock, under circumstances of a particularly distressing nature. For some time past Mr. Blacklock, though making admirable headway in the world of art, has not been of good health, and has suffered from depression of spirits and melancholia. He believed himself for one thing to be the victim of some fell disease, and consulted a physician the subject, who, it is understood, assured him that there was little the matter with him. In way of providing change of scene for him some friends invited him to Greenock for a short holiday, and arrived there about a fortnight ago. A circumstance, however, occurred which filled them with alarm, and the night which it occurred, the 9th inst., an artist friend sat with him until the early hours of the morning. Thinking that the crisis was over he then went to sleep. When the household awoke in the morning Mr Blacklock was amissing. A note left on the table filled his friends with dismay, and they dreaded the worst. Their fears have, unfortunately, been realised, for a telegram was received yesterday evening in Edinburgh saying that the body of Mr Blacklock had been cast up on the beach at Greenock Esplanade that afternoon. Mr Blacklock was born 1863 in Kirkcudbright and brought in that county, which has in recent years produced not a few excellent artists. He was educated at the Academy of his native town, where his father was English master. He came to Edinburgh about the same time as Mr McGeorge and Mr Hornel. who also hail from the Stewartry and studied under Mr Hodder at the Mound Art School. There he took several Queen’s prizes and bronze and gold medal for drawing from the antique. He entered the Academy’s life school in 1885, and gained the first prize for drawing there. Up to about 1896 Mr Blacklock mostly painted landscapes, working a good deal in Perthshire and at East Linton. Since then he had worked ii> Galloway, where found inspiration for the kind of subjects which delighted. Recently he has given more prominence to the figure combination with landscape, his subjects showing charmingly idyllic and poetic strain. Among his principal pictures exhibited at the R.S.A. were “The Strayed Calf.” “Autumn Galloway.” "Red Riding Hood." "Halloween,” "A Spring Idyll,” Fairy Tale,” “The Sea Maidens,” "Snowdrop at the house of the Dwarfs," and “A Winter Song." The last two were in the exhibition of 1902; in the last exhibition of the R.S.A. was well represented “Little Fishers,” “Where the Fairies Dwell,” and “The Goose Girl.” from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. He had also exhibited at Glasgow, London, and the Continent, and he was member of and exhibitor at the Society of Scottish Artists. Blacklock in his earlier days, had a pretty hard struggle, but all that was over. For several years past had shown in his pictures fine sense of delicate rich and harmonious colour in combination with subjects popular and attractive nature, drawn largely from his imagination or from classic fairy tales, and the public had appreciated his work and had rewarded the artist’s effort by purchasing it. He had also been mentioned as a likely candidate for early Associate honours the Royal Scottish Academy. His melancholy death at the age of forty years a distinct loss to Scottish art. Personally. Mr Blacklock was of gentle and lovable nature, and was held in great regard by his friends.

The official probate entry states Blacklock's death as 'on or about the 28th September 1903', using the date the body cast up as to the Greenock shore as the official date of death. Blacklock's estate of £438, 17 shillings and 8 pence went to his father, John Blacklock, on 30 January 1904. His father John Blacklock was then staying at 9 Church Place, Kirkcudbright.