WILLIAM THON (American 1906-2000) is an important American painter whose 60 year career brought his personal vision of boats, harbors, and woods known to almost everyone who follows Maine painters and painting. Beginning in the late 1940’s, Midtown Galleries in New York City handled Thon’s work and his successful career for over 50 years, during which time, the book WILLIAM THON, THE ARTIST AND HIS WORK was published in 1964 by Viking Press. The Caldbeck Gallery began its working relationship with the artist in 1992, and after his death in December of 2000, the gallery exclusively represented the art estate of William Thon , carrying both earlier works that came back to Maine after Midtown Galleries closed in New York, as well as transitional paintings and the later works in black and white. Thon received the Prix de Rome in 1947, followed by a Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome where he later served as Artist in Residence. He held an honorary Doctor of Arts from Bates College in Lewiston Maine , and was a member of The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, as well as the National Academy of Design. Awarded innumerable prizes, his work is in over 60 museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum, The Butler Institute of American Art, The Columbus Museum of Art, and in Maine, The Farnsworth Art Museum, The Portland Museum of Art, The Ogunquit Museum of Art, and Bates College . After 5 years of working with the artist’s estate, selling over 400 works in that period, the Caldbeck continues to offer a selection of very good works, all on paper. The Caldbeck also handles secondary consignments of Thon’s work.
