# Margaret Thomas > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Margaret_Thomas > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Margaret_Thomas.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thomas > Source revision: 1343246120 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Australian writer, painter and sculptor (1842–1929) This article is about the Australian artist (1842-1929). For the British artist (1916-2016), see [Margaret Thomas (painter)](/source/Margaret_Thomas_(painter)). For other people named Margaret Thomas, see [Margaret Thomas (disambiguation)](/source/Margaret_Thomas_(disambiguation)). This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Margaret Thomas Margaret Thomas, self-portrait, c.1881 Born Margaret Cook (1842-12-23)23 December 1842 Croydon, Surrey, England, UK Died 24 December 1929(1929-12-24) (aged 87) Norton, Hertfordshire, England, UK Known for Painting, sculpture, poetry, writing **Margaret Thomas** (born **Margaret Cook**; 23 December 1842[1] – 24 December 1929) was an English-born [Australian](/source/Australia) travel writer, poet and artist. Thomas was born at [Croydon](/source/Croydon), [Surrey](/source/Surrey), daughter of Thomas Cook, shipowner.[2] Her date of birth is sometimes cited as 1843 and she was herself inconsistent about both her age and date of birth. It has also been discovered that she was originally named Margaret Cook and only later changed her surname to her father's first name.[1] ## Career This section needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Margaret Thomas" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The Fruit Bazaar, [Damascus](/source/Damascus), painting by Margaret Thomas and reproduced in John E. Kelman, *From Damascus to Palmyra* (1908) Margaret Cook came to Australia with her family in 1852 and studied with the sculptor [Charles Summers](/source/Charles_Summers) in Melbourne. Thomas lived in [Richmond, Victoria](/source/Richmond%2C_Victoria) and exhibited her work regularly.[2] Around 1867, she moved to Europe to continue studying sculpture, where she exhibited more of her work.[3] Between 1868 and 1880, Thomas exhibited her paintings (mostly portraits) at the Royal Academy.[2] In 1880 Thomas wrote a biography of her teacher Charles Summers titled *A Hero of the Workshop* and completed a bust of him. She created other busts and began writing poetry.[3] Thomas is also believed to have painted a number of middle eastern watercolours with a curious monogram consisting of an inverted L or Greek gamma (Γ) over a gothic M. In 1888, Thomas left England for Brittany and subsequently Rome, accompanied by her long-term companion Henrietta Pilkington (1848-1927).[2] During the 1890s, they travelled throughout the Middle East and her book *A Scamper through Spain and Tangier* (1892) was dedicated to *My dear friend, the companion of these wanderings*. She wrote further books, including *Two Years in Palestine and Syria* (1899), *Denmark Past and Present* (1902), *How to Judge Pictures* (1906), *A Painter's Pastime* (1908), *How to Understand Sculpture* (1911). In 1927, after Pilkington's death, she published another volume of poetry titled *Friendship, Poems in Memoriam*. She also illustrated the 1908 book *From Damascus to Palmyra* by John Kelman.[3] Thomas did not marry, although she spent much of her adult life with Henrietta Pilkington. The pair moved to [Norton, Hertfordshire](/source/Norton%2C_Hertfordshire) in 1911, living in a cottage known as Countryside in Croft Lane, where Thomas died on 24 December 1929, the day after her 87th birthday.[2] She was buried with Pilkington, who had died two years before, in Norton churchyard. Several of her sculptures and 27 of her paintings are in the collections of [North Hertfordshire Museum](/source/North_Hertfordshire_Museum), which also contains works by Pilkington. ## Australia Margaret Thomas's painting of Charles Summers, c. 1879 was the first portrait of an Australian artist to enter the [National Gallery of Victoria](/source/National_Gallery_of_Victoria) collection, notably it was also the first oil painting by an Australian female artist acquired by the [National Gallery of Victoria](/source/National_Gallery_of_Victoria) in 1881.[4] Thomas' portraits of [Charles Summers](/source/Charles_Summers) and [Sir Redmond Barry](/source/Redmond_Barry), are held by the [State Library of Victoria](/source/State_Library_of_Victoria), Melbourne.[3] - [Sir Redmond Barry](/source/Sir_Redmond_Barry) - [Charles Summers](/source/Charles_Summers) Images courtesy of [Margaret Thomas Collection](http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/primo-explore/search?query=any,contains,margaret%20thomas&tab=default_tab&group=ALL&vid=MAIN&search_scope=Everything&mode=advanced), [State Library Victoria](/source/State_Library_Victoria) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_1-1) Clarkson, S. (2007) *Oil Paintings by Margaret Thomas.* North Hertfordshire Museums Service 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-adb_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-adb_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-adb_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-adb_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-adb_2-4) Tipping, Marjorie J. ["Thomas, Margaret (1843 - 1929)"](https://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060280b.htm). *[Australian Dictionary of Biography](/source/Australian_Dictionary_of_Biography)*. National Centre of Biography, [Australian National University](/source/Australian_National_University). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-522-84459-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-522-84459-7). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1833-7538](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1833-7538). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [70677943](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/70677943). Retrieved 12 January 2010. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_3-3) Serle, Percival (1949). ["Thomas, Margaret"](https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks15/1500721h/0-dict-biogT-V.html). *Dictionary of Australian Biography*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Taylor, Elena (December 2018). ["Portrait of the artist as hero: Margaret Thomas's portraits of Charles Summers"](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/portrait-of-the-artist-as-hero-margaret-thomass-portraits-of-charles-summers/). *Art Journal of the National Gallery of Victoria*. **56**. Retrieved 15 September 2020. ## Sources - [Serle, Percival](/source/Percival_Serle) (1949). ["Thomas, Margaret"](https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks15/1500721h/0-dict-biogT-V.html#thomas1). *[Dictionary of Australian Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Australian_Biography)*. Sydney: [Angus & Robertson](/source/Angus_%26_Robertson). - "Mysterious Margaret" by John Ramm in *Antique Dealer & Collectors Guide*, vol 59, Nos 2&3 (Sept/Oct 2005) ## External links - [Margaret Thomas](https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19566) at [AustLit](/source/AustLit) - [28 artworks by or after Margaret Thomas](https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/actor:thomas-margaret-18421929) at the [Art UK](/source/Art_UK) site - [The New English Art Club: Margaret Thomas](http://www.newenglishartclub.co.uk/artists_pages/thomas_margaret.asp?art=10) - [The Royal Society of British Artists](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031847/https://www.royalsocietyofbritishartists.org.uk/RBA/artistinfo.aspx?userid=1052) - [Australian Dictionary of Biography](https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/thomas-margaret-4707) - [NGV: Portrait of the artist as hero: Margaret Thomas’s portraits of Charles Summers](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/portrait-of-the-artist-as-hero-margaret-thomass-portraits-of-charles-summers/) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States Italy Israel Artists RKD Artists People Australia Other SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Margaret Thomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thomas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thomas?action=history)). 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