Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 39 works by Margaret Thomas in our catalogue
In short
Girl of Jerusalem (1897) is the Margaret Thomas painting that draws the most eyes. After it, the eye goes to Portrait of an Old Man Holding a Stick (1937) and The Late Patriarch of Syria. Among the 39 works of Margaret Thomas in our catalog, these 39 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
The oil painting, titled Girl of Jerusalem, presents a realistic depiction of a young girl positioned centrally within the frame. She is standing upon a stone wall, appearing to be engaged in the simple task of displaying or selling fruit from a basket. The setting suggests a Mediterranean or rural environment, characterized by a weathered wall adorned with climbing vines and foliage that provides a sense of depth to the…
The artwork is a realistic portrait of an elderly man seated in a chair, captured in a three-quarter view. He is positioned slightly off-center against a dark background that features a partially drawn curtain. The man is depicted with a sense of quiet contemplation and dignity, holding a walking stick that suggests age and perhaps physical limitations. In front of him sits a small table or desk, which holds what…
A portrait of an elderly man, characterized by a long, white beard and a contemplative gaze, occupies the center of this composition. He wears a dark turban and traditional robes, his features rendered with a realism that emphasizes the texture of his facial hair and the weight of his attire. The subject does not meet the viewer's eyes, looking instead toward an unseen point to the side, lending the work…
Pippins1949
12
Postcards and Flowers1949
13
Spring Flowers2005
14
Life Class
15
Spring Garden
16
Pheasant's Eye Narcissus in a Blue and White Vase
17
Mug of Spring
18
Hanging Basket
19
Doge's Palace, Venice
20
Chateaubriand
21
MirrorsRoyal West of England Academy
22
Jaffa
23
Danish Peasant Woman
24
Italian Lady, Venice
25
Princes Street, EdinburghRoyal West of England Academy
26
BouquetRoyal West of England Academy
27
At the Spring
28
The Quay at OrfordRoyal West of England Academy
29
Danish Child
30
Cottage Garden
31
Charles Summers
32
Old Cottage
33
Jews Wailing
34
Native Girl
35
Velázquez (1599–1660)
36
Portrait of a Woman in a Bonnet
37
The Artist
38
The River Summer EveningRoyal West of England Academy
39
Portrait of Child
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Margaret Thomas | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Royal West of England Academy |
Bristol | 5 | Mirrors, Princes Street, Edinburgh, Bouquet |
 Paintings |
London | 1 | Snow Garden |
 Charleston |
Lewes | 1 | The Captain of the Hockey Team |
 Arts Council Collection |
London | 1 | The Chintz Tablecloth |
 Trinity Hall |
Cambridge | 1 | Limehouse Reach, London |
 Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales |
Aberystwyth | 1 | Kyffin Williams (1918–2006) |
A long career of 24 years, 1874 to 1897: Margaret Thomas's most famous originals, shown year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The oil painting, titled Girl of Jerusalem, presents a realistic depiction of a young girl positioned centrally within the frame. She is standing upon a stone wall, appearing to be engaged in the simple task of displaying or selling fruit from a basket. The setting suggests a Mediterranean or rural environment, characterized by a weathered wall adorned with climbing vines and foliage that provides a sense of depth to the…
Girl of Jerusalem (1897). Portrait of an Old Man Holding a Stick (1937) and The Late Patriarch of Syria come next.
55 years old: Girl of Jerusalem dates from 1897, and Margaret Thomas was born in 1842.
Girl of Jerusalem, Portrait of an Old Man Holding a Stick, The Late Patriarch of Syria, Miss Pilkington, Inside Damascus Gate, Snow Garden, The Captain of the Hockey Team, The Chintz Tablecloth, Limehouse Reach, London and Kyffin Williams (1918–2006). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 39 works by Margaret Thomas, dated from 1874 to 1897.
Mostly in Royal West of England Academy (Bristol), Paintings (London) and Charleston (Lewes). The museum table above lists them all.
On this page, the earliest is Miss Pilkington (1874) and the latest Girl of Jerusalem (1897).
Rural life (2), Victorian era (2) and Portrait (2), across the 39 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 2 of the 39 works on this page.
Contemporary realism, judging by the originals on this page.
Mirrors, Princes Street, Edinburgh and Bouquet: the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol holds 5 of the works on this page.
Margaret Thomas, born Margaret Cook in 1842, remains a luminous figure in the annals of Victorian and Edwardian history, representing a rare fusion of artistic sensitivity and an indomitable pioneering spirit. Born in Croydon, Surrey, to the prominent shipowner Thomas Cook, her early years were steeped in the atmosphere of maritime exploration and global connection. This heritage of movement would define her life, as she was relocated to Australia at the age of nine, a transition that placed her at the heart of a burgeoning colonial landscape. Her journey was not merely one of geographical displacement but an evolution of the soul, where the rugged beauty of the Antipodes met the refined sensibilities of her English upbringing.
Her artistic development was marked by a profound connection to the masters of her era. In Melbourne, she found a mentor in the celebrated sculptor Charles Summers, whose guidance provided the technical foundation for her early explorations into form and volume. This period of apprenticeship was transformative; it allowed her to translate the textures of her new environment into tangible art. Her debut at the inaugural exhibition of the Victorian Society of Fine Arts in 1857, featuring a delicate medallion portrait, signaled the arrival of a talent capable of capturing quiet dignity through sculptural precision. As she matured, her focus expanded from the tactile nature of sculpture to the nuanced depths of portrait painting, eventually earning her a prestigious studentship at the Royal Academy in London.
Between 1868 and 1880, Thomas’s presence was felt strongly within the hallowed halls of the Royal Academy in London. Her work during this period reflected a sophisticated command of light and character, as she specialized in portraiture that sought to capture more than just a likeness. She possessed an uncanny ability to imbende her subjects with a sense of psychological depth, making her a respected figure in the international art scene. Her paintings were characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, yet they never lost the emotional resonance that defines great portraiture.
Beyond the canvas, Thomas’s life was an epic of travel and literary achievement. She was not merely an observer of the world but an active chronicler of it. Her travels through Europe and the Middle East were documented with a poet's eye and a writer's precision, blending her visual perceptions with a narrative voice that captured the essence of distant lands. This duality of being both artist and travel writer allowed her to create a multi-sensory legacy, where the imagery of her journeys was immortalized through both ink and oil.
The historical significance of Margaret Thomas lies in her ability to transcend the traditional boundaries imposed upon women of her era. Her achievements can be summarized by several key pillars of her legacy:
Today, the memory of Margaret Thomas serves as an inspiration to those who seek to merge different disciplines into a singular, cohesive life of expression. Her work remains a testament to a time when art was not just a reflection of the world, but a way to actively discover and define it.
