Thomas Frye, An Irish Artist in London.

Born in Offaly in 1710, Thomas Frye moved to London as a young man, where he quickly established himself as a successful portrait painter. From the mid-1740s he ran a factory in Bow, just east of the City of London, set up to recreate Chinese porcelain which had been admired in Europe for centuries. Under Frye’s management, the Bow factory thrived, producing inexpensive ceramics both decorative and utilitarian in a variety of designs. Thomas Frye was among the earliest European artists to collapse the distinction between ‘high’ art and factory-produced design. In an age of increasing specialisation, the manner in which he ranged freely across multiple techniques and media was unique. Although his name is scarcely known today outside specialist circles, Frye has a strong claim to the title of the period’s most successful printmaker, industrial artist and design entrepreneur.

Author Bio William Laffan is an art dealer, author and curator. He has written numerous books on Irish art and architecture.