Background
She was the daughter of Alexander Thomson (1815–1895), a professor of Greek and Hebrew.
She was the daughter of Alexander Thomson (1815–1895), a professor of Greek and Hebrew.
She studied at Manchester School of Art and became a member of the Royal Miniature Society. After studying at the Manchester School of Art she attended the studio of Frederic Shields and they became lifelong friends. Emily also studied for some time at Messrs.
Wedgwood’s works at Etruria in Staffordshire painting on china. At various points of her career she painted portraits, illustrated books and designed stained glass. Emily’s stained glass windows can be seen at Saint John the Divine, Brooklands, Cheshire, and Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Cheltenham.
The Britomart Windows at Cheltenham Ladies’ College are based upon six pictures taken from Edmund Spenser’s allegory of the The Faerie Queene.
They were produced by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Emily designed four of the windows including the Lady Knight and Frederic Shields designed two – the first and the fifth.
Emily drew a number of Russian refugees for illustrations in Charles Rowley’s book “Fifty Years of Work Without Wages.” Prince Kropotkin was one of these.
Emily produced many fine portraits and was a member of the Royal Miniature Society.