Charles Heath Wilson (1809–1882) was an Anglo-Scottish art teacher and author.

Life

The eldest son of Andrew Wilson, the landscape-painter, he was born in London in September 1809. He studied art under his father, and in 1826 accompanied him to Italy. After seven years, Wilson returned to Edinburgh, where he practised as an architect, and was for some time teacher of ornament and design in the school of art. In 1835 he was elected Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy, resigning in 1858. In 1840 he visited the continent to make a report to government on

fresco painting Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster ...

. When

William Dyce William Dyce (; 19 September 1806 in Aberdeen14 February 1864) was a Scottish painter, who played a part in the formation of public art education in the United Kingdom, and the South Kensington Schools system. Dyce was associated with the Pre-R ...

, director and secretary of the recently established schools of art 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 ...

, resigned in 1843, Wilson, who had been director of the Edinburgh school, was appointed his successor. His position there was not much more comfortable than Dyce's had been, and in 1848 he also resigned. In 1849 Wilson became headmaster of the new Glasgow School of Design. In 1864 the Board of Trade masterships were suppressed and Wilson was pensioned, but continued to live in Glasgow for some years longer, doing architectural work. In 1869 Wilson and his family left Scotland and settled at

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, where he was involved with a large literary and artistic circle. For services to art, the cross of the '' Corona d'Italia'' was conferred upon him by

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas , house = Savoy , father = Charles Albert of Sardinia , mother = Maria Theresa of Austria , religion = Roman Catholicism , image_size = 252px , succession1 ...

. He died at Florence on 3 July 1882.

Works

His pictorial work was principally landscape in watercolour. He also etched a number of book illustrations, including for Paolo Pifferi's ''Viaggio Antiquario'' (Roma, 1832), and

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...

's ''Voyage round the Coasts of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1842). While in Edinburgh Wilson wrote with William Dyce, a pamphlet addressed to Lord Meadowbank, ''The Best Means of ameliorating the Arts and Manufactures of Scotland''. In Glasgow he was occupied for nearly 10 years under the Board of Trade in superintending the filling of the windows of

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...

with Munich pictures in coloured glass. He selected the subjects and wrote a description of the work, which went through numerous editions. Wilson was interested in Italian art, on which he wrote, and particularly in

Michelangelo Buonarroti Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

, on whom he published a biography (London and Florence, 1876; 2nd edit. London, 1881). It began as a compilation from Aurelio Gotti, and developed into an independent work of criticism.

Family

Wilson was twice married: first, on 3 October 1838, in Edinburgh, to Louisa Orr, daughter of Surgeon John Orr, E.I.C., with issue one son and two daughters; and, secondly, on 16 August 1848, also in Edinburgh, to Johanna Catherine, daughter of

William John Thomson William John Thomson (1771–1845) was an American-born painter of silhouettes, portraits and miniatures who was active in Great Britain. Early life Thomson was born in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, on 3 October 1771 to Scottish parents, ...

the portrait-painter, issue a son and a daughter.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Charles Heath 1809 births 1882 deaths 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters Scottish watercolourists Scottish biographers Scottish expatriates in Italy Academics of the Glasgow School of Art 19th-century Scottish male artists