Thomas Matthews Rooke Explained

Thomas Matthews Rooke (1842, London – 1942, London) was a British watercolourist. He worked as a designer, as an assistant to other artists, and was commissioned by John Ruskin to make architectural drawings.^[1]

Life

Ruskin hired Rooke from Morris & Co. in 1879, and Rooke was still paid by him eight years later.^[2] In 1884 he was painting Italian architecture. Ruskin's project aimed to record threatened landscapes and buildings, and for it he also employed Frank Randal (1852–1917), and half a dozen others.^{[3] [4]}

In parallel Rooke was a studio assistant to Edward Burne-Jones, during the period 1868 to 1898. He also did work for Sydney Cockerell and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings; and exhibited at the Royal Academy and Grosvenor Gallery.^[5] He contributed a painting to an 1882 book Bedford Park, celebrating the then-fashionable garden suburb of that name.^[6]

Family

Rooke married Leonora Jane Jones; the wood-engraver Noel Rooke was their son.^[7]

External links

• More works by Rooke @ ArtNet
• Biographical notes @ Bonhams

Notes and References

1. Book: Huon L. Mallalieu . The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920 . 1986 . Antique Collectors' Club . 1-85149-025-6 . 294.
2. Book: Rachel Dickinson . John Ruskin's Correspondence with Joan Severn: Sense and Nonsense Letters . 2009 . MHRA . 978-1-905981-90-8 . 291.
3. Book: Scott Wilcox . Christopher Newall . Victorian Landscape Watercolors . January 1992 . Hudson Hills . 978-1-55595-071-2 . 39.
4. Book: Mark Frost . The Lost Companions and John Ruskin's Guild of St George: A Revisionary History . 2014 . Anthem Press . 978-1-78308-283-4 . 193. Mentioned are Angelo Alessandri, John Wharlton Bunney, Henry Stacy Marks, Charles Fairfax Murray, and Henry Roderick Newman.
5. Book: Timothy Hilton . John Ruskin . 2002 . Yale University Press. 978-0-300-09099-4. 805.
6. Book: Dollman . John Charles . Hargitt . Edward . Harrison . Thomas Erat . Jackson . F. Hamilton . Nash . Joseph Jr. . Paget . H. M. . Rooke . Thomas . Trautschold . Manfred . Brooks . Vincent . Carr . Jonathan T. . Berry . Berry F. . John Charles Dollman . Edward Hargitt . Thomas Erat Harrison . . Joseph Nash . H. M. Paget . T. M. Rooke . Manfred Trautschold . Vincent Brooks, Day & Son . . Berry F. Berry . Bedford Park . 1882 . Harrison and Sons . 193146366 .
7. 69374. Rooke, Noel. Alan. Horne.