Brief Biography-Thomas Pooley, the son of a Dublin attorney, was born in Ipswich. It is expected he learned to paint in London, where he studied law. Thomas became a well-known portraitist on arrival in Dublin and was sought after by the aristocracy. Sir Peter Lely influenced him; it is also possible he may have tutored him. Thomas was a member of the Guild of Saint Luke. He received numerous commissions, but sadly most have not survived. However, some of his portraits are in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin. His most notable works were for Sir John Perceval, an Irish patron of the arts. Unfortunately, the three brothers, Sir John, Sir Philip, and Sir Robert Perceval, had untimely deaths. Robert, known for duelling and gambling, got murdered in London. John died of prison fever he caught while working with the courts in Cork, and Philip, who had a bad temper, got poisoned. In Pooley’s later years, he gave up painting, involved himself in business and became an MP.