Barbara Nasmyth (15 April 1790 – 11 February 1870) was a Scottish oil and watercolour painter and educator.

Early life

Barbara Nasmyth was the daughter of the artist

Alexander Nasmyth Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants li ...

. Her sisters

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...

, Margaret, Elizabeth,

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

and

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

were all also artists. Her eldest brother

Patrick Nasmyth Patrick Nasmyth, (7 January 1787 – 17 August 1831), was a Scottish landscape painter. He was the eldest son of the artist Alexander Nasmyth. Life Nasmyth was one of the eleven children of Barbara and Alexander Nasmyth of Edinburgh. His si ...

was a fellow landscapist, and her brother

James Nasmyth James Hall Nasmyth (sometimes spelled Naesmyth, Nasmith, or Nesmyth) (19 August 1808 – 7 May 1890) was a Scottish engineer, philosopher, artist and inventor famous for his development of the steam hammer. He was the co-founder of Nasmyth, ...

, was the inventor of the

steam hammer A steam hammer, also called a drop hammer, is an industrial power hammer driven by steam that is used for tasks such as shaping forgings and driving piles. Typically the hammer is attached to a piston that slides within a fixed cylinder, but i ...

. After the death of her father in 1840, Nasmyth moved to Patricroft, near Manchester, closer to her brother James. Ten years later, in 1850, she moved to London.

Works

Nasmyth was particularly known for her proficient handling of woodland scenery utilising oil and watercolour. Her works often depicted scenes of the Lake District; or Edinburgh and its surrounding area. Her style was similar to that of her father who she studied with at their home, and at his art school, in York Place, Edinburgh. She exhibited with: * ,the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

from 1830 to 1860 * the

Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...

in 1843 * the

Royal Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

from 1854 to 1866 * the

Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) is an independent organisation in Glasgow, founded in 1861, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Scotland. The institute organizes the largest and most prestigious annual art exhibitio ...

from 1862 to 1866 Following her father's death in 1840, she is said to have worked "with success and much respect" in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Teaching

Barbara Nasmyth taught at York Place School.

References

1790 births 1870 deaths 19th-century Scottish painters 19th-century Scottish women artists Scottish landscape painters Scottish women painters Sibling artists {{Scotland-painter-stub