Alexander Robertson (1772–1841) was a Scottish-American artist. In the 1790s he founded the

Columbian Academy of Painting Columbian Academy of Painting was one of the earliest art schools in the United States. It was founded by brothers Archibald and Alexander Robertson in 1792.Archibald Robertson Archibald or Archie Robertson may refer to: Sports *Archie Robertson (footballer) (1929–1978), Scottish footballer * Archie Robertson (shinty player) (born 1950), ex-shinty player Others *Archibald Robertson (painter) (1765–1835), Scottish bor ...

Early life

Alexander Robertson - Distant view of New York - by 1841

Robertson was born in

Monymusk Monymusk ( gd, Monadh Musga) is a planned village in the Marr area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History Malcolm Canmore first established Celtic foundation on the site in 1078 The Culdees of Munimusc are recorded as inhabiting the site in 1170 ...

, near Aberdeen,William Dunlap (1834)
''History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States.''
George P. Scott and Company, Printers. pp. 425–426. Scotland in 1772.Alexander Robertson (1772-1841).
Art & Architecture of New Jersey. Retrieved August 21, 2014.William Beekman, by Alexander Robertson.
Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 21, 2014. His father, William Robertson, was a draftsman and architect. Alexander was the middle of three artistic brothers; the others were

Archibald Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and ''bald'' meaning "bold". Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon . Erkanbald, bishop of ...

and

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...

Education

Robertson, who was a

miniaturist A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

, studied art in Scotland and then in London at the

Royal Academy of Art The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

.Kevin J. Avery; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) (1 January 2002)
''American Drawings and Watercolors in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.''
Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 338. .Alexander Robertson biography.
Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 21, 2014. He was also taught by his brother Archibald.

Career

Robertson painted miniature portraits and landscapes, influenced by

William Sawrey Gilpin William Sawrey Gilpin (4 October 1762 – 4 April 1843) was an English artist and drawing master, and in later life a landscape designer. Biography Gilpin was born at Scaleby Castle, Cumbria on 4 October 1762, the son of the animal painter Saw ...

. He engraved, and among his works are some topographical engravings. Archibald and Alexander collaborated on the engravings and other works. With his brother Archibald, Robertson came to the United States to teach art at the invitation of several wealthy individuals. Archibald arrived in 1791,Kevin J. Avery; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) (1 January 2002)
''American Drawings and Watercolors in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.''
Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 102. . and Alexander joined his brother in the autumn of 1792. In the 1790s the brothers established the Columbian Academy of Painting in New York on William Street. It was one of the country's first art schools. Their students included

John Vanderlyn John Vanderlyn (October 18, 1775September 23, 1852) was an American neoclassicist painter. Biography Vanderlyn was born at Kingston, New York, and was the grandson of colonial portrait painter Pieter Vanderlyn. He was employed by a print-sell ...

Francis Alexander Francis Alexander (February 3, 1800 – March 27, 1880) was an American portrait-painter. Biography Alexander was born in Windham county Connecticut in February 1800. Brought up on a farm, he taught himself the use of colors, and in 1820 we ...

, and, rare for the time, a woman miniaturist named

Ann Hall Ann (or Anne) Hall (1792–1863) was an American painter and miniaturist. Ann Hall has been described as the most successful miniature painter active in early nineteenth-century New York, renowned for her engaging portraits, especially of child ...

. Alexander taught painting and drawing. The brothers taught art to amateur and professional students with a wide variety of mediums and subjects. Their methods were based upon those taught in European and British art schools at that time. Around 1800 Alexander drew an illustration of Mount Vernon in Virginia, home of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. This work was engraved by

Francis Jukes Francis Jukes (1745–1812) was a prolific engraver and publisher, chiefly known for his topographical and shipping prints, the majority in aquatint. He worked alongside the great illustrators of the late eighteenth century. He contributed numerous ...

of London shortly thereafter. Robertson opened his own art school in 1802. The Columbian Academy of Art was renamed the Academy of Painting, which continued to be managed by Archibald. Robertson exhibited at the

American Academy of the Fine Arts The American Academy of the Fine Arts was an art institution founded in 1802 in New York City, to encourage appreciation and teaching of the classical style. It exhibited copies of classical works and encouraged artists to emulate the classical in t ...

(AAFA) in New York and was made director in 1816. Both of the Robertson brothers were active in the management of the AAFA. From 1817 to 1825 Alexander was the school's secretary. He was the curator from 1820 to 1835. In 1821 he became an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in South Carolina. Robertson traveled along the Mohawk and Hudson rivers and captured the landscape and towns in a travel sketchbook of pen and ink drawings. According to Elizabeth Allen, "Robertson's stylized approach reveals a preconceived notion of what a landscape should look like, based upon his exposure to the topographical tradition of Great Britain. It was up to the next generations of American landscape artists to free themselves from the restraints of that tradition to produce drawings that were more spontaneous and more faithful to nature."

Personal life

Robertson married Miss Provost, who was the niece of Bishop Provost.

Death

Robertson died in New York in 1841.

Collections

His works are in the following collections: *

Albany Institute of History & Art The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum in Albany, New York, United States, "dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region". ...

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

Brooklyn Museum of Art The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Alexander Robertson.
Metropolitan Museum Collections. Retrieved August 21, 2014. *

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Notes

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Alexander 1772 births 1841 deaths 18th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists American male painters 19th-century American painters Scottish engravers American engravers People from Aberdeenshire Scottish emigrants to the United States Portrait miniaturists 19th-century American male artists