Thomas Jones Italian Account Book

(R/SOC/4)

Thomas Jones (1742 – 1803) was a Welsh landscape painter. He was born in Trefonnen in Cefnllys, Radnorshire, the second of sixteen children to the landowner Thomas Jones of Trefonnen and his wife, Hannah. His formative years were spent on his father's estate at Pencerrig near Builth Wells.

Although no extensive personal archive exists for Thomas Jones, three major manuscripts of his have survived: a volume of Memoirs and two account books. The Memoirs and one account book were bequeathed to the National Library of Wales, whilst the 'Italian account book' is held by Powys Archives.  It dates 1780-1797.

Thomas Jones was best known in his lifetime as a painter of Welsh and Italian landscapes. However, his reputation grew in the 20th century when more unconventional works by him, ones not been intended for public consumption, came to light. Most notable among these is a series of views of Naples which he painted from 1782 to 1783. His autobiography, Memoirs of Thomas Jones of Penkerrig, went unpublished until 1951 but is now recognised as an important source of information on the 18th-century art world.

In his later years Jones felt himself increasingly drawn back to Wales, especially his beloved Pencerrig. He inherited the estate in 1787, on the death of his brother Major John Jones who died without issue. Thomas Jones died in 1803 and is buried at the family chapel at Caebach, Llandrindod Wells.