John Campbell Mitchell ARSA (1861 – 15 February 1922) was a late 19th and early 20th century Scottish landscape artist. He specialised in broad open views such as moorland or beaches.

Life

He was born John Mitchell'' on Shore Street in

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing ...

in western Scotland on 1 December 1861 to John Mitchell (d.1896), a local grocer, and his wife, Janet McMillan (1836-1920). He adopted the name Campbell in later life, probably in reference to his place of birth. His maternal grandfather, Malcolm McMillan, owned the "Steamboat Inn" in Campbeltown. He attended Campbeltown Grammar School until around 1872. He was apprenticed as a lawyer to the local (and still extant) firm of C & D MacTaggart. However, the local artist

William McTaggart William McTaggart (25 October 1835 – 2 April 1910) was a Scottish landscape and marine painter who was influenced by Impressionism. Life and work The son of a crofter, William McTaggart was born in the small village of Aros, near Camp ...

actively encouraged him to pursue art, and in the summer of 1874 he joined The Trustees Academy in Edinburgh to retrain as an artist. He began exhibiting at 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 ...

in 1886. In 1887 he went to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to study under

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (also known as Benjamin-Constant), born Jean-Joseph Constant (10 June 1845 – 26 May 1902), was a French painter and etcher best known for his Oriental subjects and portraits. Biography Benjamin-Constant was bor ...

, returning to Edinburgh in 1890. He presumably lived with his father, who had retired to Edinburgh in 1889 and was living at 151 Bruntsfield Place, then a very new and exclusive flat, and exceptionally larger than the average property. In 1901 he spent several months in Galloway in south-west Scotland studying the ever-changing skies. In 1903 he settled in

Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...

in west

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 ...

, remaining there for the rest of his life. He was elected ARSA in 1904 and full RSA in 1919. He died at home, Duncree on Clermiston Road on

Corstorphine Hill Corstorphine Hill is a low ridge-shaped hill rising above the western suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. Although there has been residential and commercial development on its lower slopes, especially in the south and west, most of the hill is occu ...

in western Edinburgh on 15 February 1922. John Campbell Mitchell is buried in the churchyard of Gogar Parish Church, Edinburgh

Known works

*''Near

Carradale Carradale ( gd, Càradal, ) is a village on the east side of Kintyre, overlooking the Kilbrannan Sound and the west coast of the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, approximately from Campbeltown. To the north of Carradale is the coastal pe ...

'' (1885) *''The Haunt of the

Curlew The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been in ...

'' Hunter Gallery, stirling *''At the Close of the Day''

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Art Gallery *''

Aberlady Aberlady ( sco, Aiberleddy, Gaelic: ''Obar Lobhaite'') is a coastal village in the Scottish council area of East Lothian. The village had an estimated population of in . Etymology The name ''Aberlady'' has Brittonic origins. The first part of ...

, East Lothian''

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

Art Gallery and Museum *''The Waterfoot,

'' (1919)

*'' Cruachan''

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Museum *''The

Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

Moor''

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

Museum and Art Gallery *''Drifting Clouds''

Lotherton Hall Lotherton Hall is a country house near Aberford, West Yorkshire, England. It lies a short distance from the A1(M) motorway, equidistant between London and Edinburgh. It is one of nine sites in the Leeds Museums & Galleries group. There has bee ...

*''On the Kintyre Hills'' (1905) Burnet Building, Campbeltown *''On the Kintyre Coast''

Wellington, New Zealand Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

*''Spring in

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

*''Sunset,

Machrihanish Machrihanish ( gd, Machaire Shanais, ) is a village in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. It is a short distance north of the tip of the Mull of Kintyre, which faces out towards Northern Ireland and the Atlantic. Machrihanish bay The main ...

'' *''Ebbing Tide,

Cramond Cramond Village (; gd, Cathair Amain) is a village and suburb in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth. The Cramond area has evidence of Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Roman ac ...

'' *''

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

Landscape'' *''Galloway Landscape'' *''Stormy Sunset at

Aberfoyle Aberfoyle may refer to: *Aberfoyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland * Aberfoyle, Stirling, Scotland * Aberfoyle, Ontario, Canada * Aberfoyle, Texas, United States *Aberfoyle, Warwick Aberfoyle is a heritage-listed detached house at 35 Woo ...

'' *''

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on th ...

from Leithies'' *''

Bass Rock The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volcan ...

'' *'' The Brown Loch

Private collection A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...

* Boats By The Sea, Private Collection, Florida, USA

Family

He was married to Mary Agnes Mitchell. His eldest son, Lt John Patrick Campbell Mitchell, was killed whilst serving in the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

on 21 April 1917 during the

Second Battle of Arras The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British Empire, British offensive on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German Empi ...

. He was only 19. He is buried in Bruay Communal Cemetery Extension. Mitchell's younger son was the military scientist,

Colin Campbell Mitchell Colin Campbell Mitchell (17 November 1925 – 20 July 1996) was a British Army soldier and politician. He became a public figure in 1967 as the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Forces under his ...

References

1861 births 1922 deaths People from Campbeltown British artists Presidents of the Society of Scottish Artists {{Scotland-artist-stub