Andrew Geddes (5 April 17835 May 1844) was a Scottish

portrait painter Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...

and etcher.

Life

Geddes was born at 7 St Patrick Street in south

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. After receiving a

classical education Classical education may refer to: *''Modern'', educational practices and educational movements: **An education in the Classics, especially in Ancient Greek and Latin **Classical education movement, based on the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) an ...

at the Royal High School and subsequently at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, he was employed as a clerk for five years in the excise office, in which his father held the post of deputy auditor. After the death of his father, who had opposed his desire to become an artist, he went to London and entered the

Royal Academy 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 pur ...

schools. His first contribution to the exhibitions of the Royal Academy, a ''St John in the Wilderness'', appeared at

Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...

in 1806, and from that year onwards Geddes was a fairly constant exhibitor of figure-subjects and portraits. His well-known portrait of

David Wilkie David Wilkie may refer to: * David Wilkie (artist) (1785–1841), Scottish painter * David Wilkie (surgeon) (1882–1938), British surgeon, scientist and philanthropist * David Wilkie (footballer) (1914–2011), Australian rules footballer * David ...

, with whom he was on terms of intimacy, was at the Royal Academy in 1816. He alternated for some years between London and Edinburgh, with some excursions on the Continent, and in 1809 resided at 7 St James Square in Edinburgh, moving to 55

York Place The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...

in 1812. In 1831 settled in London, and was elected associate of the Royal Academy in 1832. He died at

Berners Street Berners Street is a thoroughfare located to the north of Oxford Street in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, originally developed as a residential street in the mid-18th century by property developer William Berners (property de ...

in London of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

on 5 May 1844.

Work

Geddes made his chief success as a portrait painter, but he produced occasional figure subjects and landscapes, and executed some copies of the old masters as well. He was also a good etcher. His portrait of his mother, and a portrait study, called Summer, are in the

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by Wi ...

, and his portrait of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

is in the

Scottish National Portrait Gallery The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. The gallery holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Co ...

. His portrait of

Alexander Oswald Alexander Oswald of Changue FRSE (1777–1821) was a 19th-century Scottish landowner and advocate. Life He was born in Scotstoun House near Glasgow on 1 April 1777 the fourth son of George Oswald and his wife Margaret Smythe. Early in his l ...

of Changue

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

is held at the Glasgow Museum Resource Centre.

References

External links

*
Andrew Geddes online
(ArtCyclopedia)

(The Walter Scott Digital Archive)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geddes, Andrew 1783 births 1844 deaths 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in England Artists from Edinburgh People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish civil servants Scottish portrait painters Scottish etchers 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Associates of the Royal Academy Alumni of the Royal Academy Schools 19th-century Scottish male artists

Life

Work

References

Further reading

External links