Thomas Kirby (1814 – 1886): A Pioneer of Railway Art Thomas Kirby, born in Cherbourg, Normandy, France, in 1814, emerged as a significant figure in the burgeoning field of railway art during the Victorian era. His artistic journey began with an apprenticeship under Jean-François Millet, arguably the most celebrated painter of rural life in France at the time – a formative experience that instilled in Kirby a deep appreciation for observation and meticulous detail, qualities he would carry throughout his prolific career. While Millet focused on capturing the essence of peasant existence, Kirb…