Thomas Alfred Jones (1823–1893): A Portraitist of Victorian Belfast Thomas Alfred Jones (1823–1893) stands as a significant figure in Irish art history, primarily recognized for his prolific output of official portraits that captured the essence of Victorian Britain and particularly illuminated the civic life of Belfast. Born in Dublin, Jones’s artistic journey began with formal training at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where he honed his skills under influential instructors like Frederic Leighton and William Holman Hunt—artists deeply rooted in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, whose a…