'Portrait of Thomas Combe’ by William Holman Hunt - 1860.

This portrait of Thomas Combe, known in PRB circles as ‘the patriarch’ after he grew this impressive beard, was painted by William Holman Hunt in 1860.

Thomas and his wife Martha, a maternal figure for the younger PRB’s and nicknamed ‘Mrs Pat’, were great patrons of the movement. Thomas was a well-known philanthropist who made his fortune as a senior partner in charge of the ‘Bible’ division of Oxford University Press. The Combes presided over a ‘good-humoured salon’ at their home in the Jericho area of Oxford, which was frequented by both Millais and Collins and became an important hub for the PRB. The Combes left the majority of their extensive collection to the Ashmolean in their wills.