An Astronomer working in his studio; and An Alchemist and his assistants working in his laboratory A pair, each oil on canvas, 40 x 56 cm Footnote: Provenance: Hugo Arnot, Gemälde-Salon, Vienna, nos. 521 & 390 (old labels refer); Private collection, Bedfordshire Born in Antwerp in 1663, Gerard Thomas was renowned for his studio interior scenes. After an initial training under Godfried Maes, Thomas was elected a member of the Guild of St Luke in 1688. He spent some time studying alchemy, a subject which inspired him in the execution of some of his greatest works. Influenced by the interior scenes of Adriaen Brouwer (1605-1638) and David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690), Thomas’ works are unmistakably Northern in style and belong to a specific tradition of genre painting, depicting taverns, alchemist’s laboratories and artist studios. Thomas’ paintings, however, deviate from those of his predecessors in his fastidious arrangement and rendering of the minutiae of his scenes. Condition report: Oil on canvas which have been lined, probably at an early stage in the paintings history and retaining the original tacking edges. The canvases are in plane with good tension. The paint layers are generally stable with localised, small scale flaking the in the background passages. There is light wear and scuffs on the surface. The varnish is old and slightly matte. Both paintings have a light layer of surface dirt.