Thomas Austen Brown was the son of a drawing-master. He was a student of the Royal Scottish Academy School, and soon caught the attention of the critics at the exhibitions. His paintings, The Strawberry Harvest (1884), 'Love Lightens Toil' (1885), 'Hark! The Cuckoo' (1886) and 'Playmates' (R.A 1886) were scenes from country life, and were noted for their vibrant colours and sentimentality. As a result of his work at Cambuskenneth, Brown became closely associated with the Glasgow movement, working in both oil and watercolour. As a result, he also shared their early success in London and on the Continent. Brown later lived in the north of France, where he continued to paint in watercolour, and completed much of his later work. Brown was a successful artist, who won several first-class medals at print exhibitions in Munich, Dresden, Barcelona and Budapest (1861-1911).