Thomas Theodosius Forrest (London 1728-1784)

Following in the footsteps of his father Ebenezer Forrest (a friend of the painters Hogarth, Scott and Thornhill) Theodosius qualified as a solicitor. He also took drawing lessons from Paul Sandby, which accounts for the similarity of this watercolour to some of Sandby's work, and in 1774 toured Yorkshire and Derbyshire with Thomas Sandby. He was godparent to one of Thomas Sandby's children who was named Maria Theodosia in his honour (J. Ball, Paul and Thomas Sandby, Royal Academicians, 1985, p. 152).