H 143.51 cm x W 118.11 cm x D 12.7 cm
A 3/4 length portrait of Dr. Thomas Weeks Robison. He is standing and partially leaning against a fluted pillar on the left side of the picture plane, his right elbow on the base and his right hand loosely holding a pair of brown leather gloves. The figure's left hand appears to be resting on his left hip beneath his long black topcoat. Beneath the overcoat the subject has on a white collared shirt and a red and black tie. The figure is standing in front of a balustrade, at an oblique angle to the front of the picture plane, his left shoulder innermost. He is looking to the left, over his right shoulder, and he has long grey-white hair, long grey mutton-chop sideburns, and brown eyes. In the background to the right of the subject is a landscape scene showing treetops and a sunset coloured sky. The painting is signed "W. Sawyer. / 1862" in brown paint in the lower left corner.
The painting is housed in a mid 19th century gilt wood and plaster frame. Plain back edge; bead and flower, plain scotia; plain trefoil cabochon foliate scroll corners, with concave cabochon on outer corner, and foliate edge on top edge, with elaborate acanthus and foliate side centres and simple acanthus top centre on swept rail; astragal, foliate bead, and cove to sight edge. Foliated spandrels in top corners.
Born in Napanee, Ontario, Thomas Robison was a physician, police magistrate and owner of several businesses; among them a drugstore in the “Shambles” – City Hall’s market wing. He was educated in medicine at Queen’s University and furthered his studies at Kingston General Hospital. During his term as mayor, Robison presided over the completion of the newly built City Hall (1844).
