Thomas Mostyn (1864-1930) was a well-respected British painter active during the last decade of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century. People and nature formed the main inspiration for his work, and Mostyn kept experimenting with the style and subjects he captured on the canvas during his career. In the 1890s, he was primarily interested in capturing nature with a high degree of realism, but his works gradually incorporated more imaginary elements. Like many other artists, World War I strongly influenced his artistic vision. By the end of the war in 1918, Mostyn became successful with his unique enchanted garden scenes, which form the most significant part of his oeuvre. Our coffee table book Thomas Mostyn - An Enchanted World shows the variety of works Mostyn created during his life.
Thomas Edwin Mostyn was born in June of 1864 in the city of Liverpool, but he grew up in Manchester. His father Edwin Mostyn was a lithographer, and Thomas (or Tom as he was usually called) showed an interest in art from a young age. At age 16, he drew a seven-foot-wide landscape in black and white, and this work was selected for a local exhibition in Manchester.
Thomas Mostyn painted a variety of themes during his career. Whereas many British artists mostly followed the artistic trends of the day, Mostyn largely kept his independence by following his own mind, and he kept experimenting with different styles and themes. Initially, Mostyn preferred to paint figurative and genre subjects using a naturalistic style, but over time he started to use some rougher brush strokes, inspired by the Impressionists and the emerging abstract art styles.
The trademark theme Mostyn eventually settled on is the enchanted garden scene. It is the subject he captured most frequently on the canvas, especially during the last decade of his life. These works are unique compared to those of his colleagues, and after seeing a few of these works, it is relatively straightforward to attribute such works to Mostyn. Earlier in his career, Mostyn painted more traditional landscapes in a realistic fashion, but as he grew older, he gradually added more imagination to these landscape scenes. More information and a representative sample of his work can be found in our book.
Thomas Edwin Mostyn was born in June of 1864 in the city of Liverpool, but he grew up in Manchester. His father Edwin Mostyn was a lithographer, and Thomas (or Tom as he was usually called) showed an interest in art from a young age. At age 16, he drew a seven-foot-wide landscape in black and white, and this work was selected for a local exhibition in Manchester.
Thomas Mostyn painted a variety of themes during his career. Whereas many British artists mostly followed the artistic trends of the day, Mostyn largely kept his independence by following his own mind, and he kept experimenting with different styles and themes. Initially, Mostyn preferred to paint figurative and genre subjects using a naturalistic style, but over time he started to use some rougher brush strokes, inspired by the Impressionists and the emerging abstract art styles.
The trademark theme Mostyn eventually settled on is the enchanted garden scene. It is the subject he captured most frequently on the canvas, especially during the last decade of his life. These works are unique compared to those of his colleagues, and after seeing a few of these works, it is relatively straightforward to attribute such works to Mostyn. Earlier in his career, Mostyn painted more traditional landscapes in a realistic fashion, but as he grew older, he gradually added more imagination to these landscape scenes. More information and a representative sample of his work can be found in our book.