Edward Thomas
- Artist: Emil Otto ('E.O.') Hoppé
- Date: 1911
- Medium: modern print on sepia-toned Veribrom paper
- Dimensions: 10 in. x 8 in. (254 mm x 203 mm) overall
- Portrays: Edward Thomas
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a modern print by Emil Otto Hoppé made in 1911 on sepia‑toned Veribrom paper. You’ll see Edward Thomas in a simple, direct pose: his head slightly turned to the left, eyes steady, and his hands resting on a small ring set on his wrist. The paper’s warm tone gives the image a subtle glow, while soft shadows fall across the background, drawing attention to the sitter’s face.
The print’s modest size—just ten by eight inches—makes the details feel intimate. Hoppé’s careful use of light reveals the texture of Thomas’s clothing and that delicate ring on his finger, adding a quiet touch of personality. The work sits in a series of six portraits he produced of the poet and critic; this particular one captures him in the early years before World War I.
Hoppé himself was both photographer and writer, so the print balances technical precision with an almost narrative quality—an everyday moment captured in sepia that invites you to linger on each subtle detail.
See it in person
Edward Thomas is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
