Thomas Kitchin Paintings

Thomas Kitchin was a well-known English cartographer and engraver born in 1718. He was particularly active during the mid-18th century, a period often regarded as the 'Golden Age' of British cartography. Kitchin produced a vast range of maps, from road maps and county maps to charts of continents and empires, during a time when the British Empire was expanding and there was a great demand for accurate geographic information.

Kitchin's career as a mapmaker began in earnest when he was apprenticed to Emanuel Bowen, a prominent engraver and mapmaker of the day. Under Bowen's tutelage, Kitchin developed the skills that would serve him throughout his prolific career. He eventually became an independent engraver and map publisher, producing works for a variety of atlases and authors, including the notable 'The Universal Atlas' by Robert Sayer and John Bennett, and 'The General Atlas', described by the cartographer Laurie and Whittle.

Kitchin frequently updated his maps to reflect new geographic discoveries and political changes, which made his work a valuable resource for contemporaries. His maps were known for their detail and accuracy, as well as their aesthetic appeal. Kitchin also held the title of Hydrographer to the King, a prestigious position that reflected his standing as a leading cartographer of his time.

Throughout his career, Kitchin worked with many of the leading figures in the mapping and publishing world, contributing to the dissemination of geographic knowledge during an era of exploration and discovery. His work included a diverse range of subjects, from local English counties to the most distant parts of the world known to Europeans at the time. Kitchin died in 1784, leaving behind a legacy of cartographic work that would continue to be referenced and admired for centuries to come.