Thomas Douglas Guest

Thomas Douglas Guest (1781–1845) was a British historical- and portrait painter. He studied at the schools of the Royal Academy, and in 1803 sent his first contribution to its exhibitions - a portrait of the sculptor Joseph Wilton. Next year he was represented by Madonna and Child, and in 1805 gained the gold medal for historical painting, the subject being Bearing the Dead Body of Patroclus to the Camp, Achilles's Grief. This work was exhibited at the British Institution in 1807. In the years up to 1839 he continued to contribute paintings to the Academy (see list below). Besides those, he exhibited several pictures at the British Institution and a few at the Society of British Artists. He also painted in 1809 a large picture of 'The Transfiguration', which he presented as an altar-piece to St. Thomas's Church, Salisbury. In 1829 Guest published An Inquiry into the Causes of the Decline of Historical Painting. In 1839 he sent two small works to the exhibition of the British Institution, and there is no further notice of him.

Works

The boxer Thomas Belcher painted by Guest.

• Portrait of the sculptor Joseph Wilton, (1803)
• Madonna and Child (1804)
• Bearing the Dead Body of Patroclus to the Camp, Achilles's Grief (1805)
• Penelope unravelling the web (1806)
• Cupid wrestling with Pan; an allegory' (1808)
• Venus recumbent and Cupids (1809)
• Clorinda (1811)
• Cupid and Psyche (1811)
• The Second Appearance of the Messiah (1834)
• The Judgement of Hercules (1834)
• The Prism (1838)
• Phaeton driving the Chariot of the Sun (1838)

References

•  Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Guest, Thomas Douglas". Dictionary of National Biography. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.