Clarke, Thomas Benedict

Clarke, Thomas Benedict

(1848–1931) art collector; born in New York City. He studied at Washington Collegiate Institute, New York City, and by 1869 he began buying and selling paintings and Chinese porcelains. He is noted for his collection of Hudson River paintings and early American portraits, which were purchased by the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust after his death. He also endowed the Clarke prize, given annually by the National Academy of Design.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.