Thomas Flatman was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and
miniatureA portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolour, or enamel.Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century...
painter. There were several editions of his
Poems and Songs (1674). One of his self-portraits is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. A portrait of
Charles IICharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
is in the Wallace Collection, London. His miniatures are noted for their vitality.
He was the son of a clerk in Chancery and was born in Aldersgate Street and educated at
Winchester CollegeWinchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. He went on to study at
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. He was later called to the bar in 1662 although he seems never to have practiced as a lawyer. He was a staunch
RoyalistCavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
and one of his poems was to celebrate the return of Charles II in 1660 after the collapse of the Cromwellian Commonwealth.
Among his earliest verses are lines prefixed to
Graphice (1658) by Sir William Sanderson (the
Sanderson BaronetsThere have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Sanderson, two in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2007....
), a work containing a description of the art of miniature painting, based on Edward Norgate’s writings. Flatman divided his career between writing poetry (in which his earnest religious temperament is revealed) and painting portraits in miniature. A versatile man, he was made a Fellow of the newly founded
Royal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1668. A number of his friends were leading clergymen, and many of his sitters were drawn from the Church and other intellectual circles.
Alexander ChalmersAlexander Chalmers was a Scottish writer.He was born in Aberdeen.Trained as a doctor, he gave up medicine for journalism, and was for some time editor of the Morning Herald...
attributes the satirical work
Don Juan Lamberto, or a Comical History of the late Times to Flatman in his entry in the General Biographical Dictionary of 1812-1817.
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