The Holden F5 Locomotive Trust

Wrenford Thatcher is one of Britain’s most successful railway artists, currently creating stunning artworks depicting accurate records in railway history.

Wrenford Thatcher was born in 1944 in Hertford and led a happy childhood on the footplate, around both grandfathers who were engine drivers,  working on the former GER, LNER and finally for BR. From the war years onwards, Wrenford lived in Hatfield and spent his spare time at the line side sketching trains.

He attended St Alban’s County Grammar School where he excelled in sciences and the arts, winning a number of awards for his artworks. He attended London University and studied Mathematics and Physics where he achieved a PhD in Physics. Wrenford became a teacher of Electronics and Astronomy at various Universities, entailing extensive travelling in America and Europe.

Throughout these journeys, paintings flowed whenever time permitted. Two subjects dominated his interest; the stunning scenery of the west coast of Scotland and most importantly, steam locomotive and railway scenes, no doubt stemming from his grandfathers.

His railway paintings are always met with great enthusiasm and has perfected a style that encompasses precision, accuracy and attention to detail, tackling the complexity of perspective. Each painting faithfully represents an historical account of a golden era, reflecting Wrenford’s unquestionable passion for railway engineering.

GER 789 at Stratford station low level.

Although it is generally not recommended that paintings are hung in direct sunlight Wrenford Thatcher’s paintings will withstand it more than most because he uses natural pigments such as raw umber, yellow ochre etc which will not fade. Only red buffer beams are at risk as the use of arsenic red is no longer permitted! The painting is spectacular in sunlight-the shaft of light on the locomotive makes the blue livery stand out from the grey surroundings. This is a technique which Wrenford Thatcher has copied deliberately from the old grand masters such as Rembrant through to Canaletto who knew all about this. The technique was lost by the impressionists and has never resurfaced.

A limited edition of signed and numbered, high-quality prints of Wrenford Thatcher’s GER 789 will be available for purchase in the near future. For more information please contact info@holdenf5.co.uk.