Hugh Thomson was an Irish Illustrator born at Coleraine near Derry. He is best known for his pen-and-ink illustrations of works by authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and J. M. Barrie.
Although Thomson had no formal artistic training, as a young boy he would often fill his schoolbooks with drawings of horses, dogs, and ships. He attended Coleraine Model School, but left at the age of fourteen to work as a clerk. Several years later his artistic talents were discovered, and in 1877 he was hired by a printing and publishing company. Thomson's artistic ambitions led him to London in 1883 where he became a leading contributor to several magazines. His style at the time is said to be in the "straight tradition of Caldecott."
Thomson also illustrated editions of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. His most popular illustrations were "fine line drawing of rural characters and gentle countrified society." His works were featured in a number of exhibitions during his lifetime, as in an 1891 exhibit with fellow illustrator Kate Greenaway at the Fine Art Society.
Thomson is best known for his pen-and-ink illustrations. He occasionally dabbled with watercolors, but only used color in his illustrations in response to his publishers' demand. When illustrating a series of pieces set in the same location, Thomson would maintain the details of each room, hallway, or facade, drawing them from different angles throughout the publication. In total, Thomson illustrated sixty-five books and contributed a large number of illustrations to magazines and other periodicals.
(source: wikipedia)