John Syme (1795-1861) - John Syme (1795–1861), Artist, Self Portrait - PG 1545 - National Galleries of Scotland

John Syme RSA (1795 – 3 August 1861) 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 ...

Life

A nephew of Patrick Syme, he was born in

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 ...

and studied in the

Trustees' Academy Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

on Picardy Place. He became a pupil and assistant of

Sir Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a fo ...

, whose unfinished works he completed, and subsequently practised with success as a portrait-painter in Edinburgh. In the 1830s he is listed as living at 32 Abercromby Place in Edinburgh's Second New Town. Syme was an original member of 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 ...

, founded in 1826, and took an active part in its management. He died in Edinburgh on 3 August 1861.

Works

He painted many portraits. That of John Barclay M.D. was exhibited at the London

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 ...

in 1819, and went to the

Scottish National Gallery 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 W ...

; it was engraved in

mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the '' intaglio'' family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonali ...

by Thomas Hodgetts, as were also those of John Broster and Andrew McKean. Syme's self-portrait went to the Royal Scottish Academy. His portrait of the Solicitor General,

Lord Cockburn Henry Thomas Cockburn of Bonaly, Lord Cockburn ( ; Cockpen, Midlothian, 26 October 1779 – Bonaly, Midlothian, 26 April/18 July 1854) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and literary figure. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1830 an ...

, was deposited with the Academy as his diploma work.Normand, Tom (2013), ''Portfolio:Treasures from the Diploma Collection at the Royal Scottish Academy'', Luath Press Ltd., Edinburgh, pp. 20 & 21 A portrait of Alexander Henderson,

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...

1823-1825 hangs in the Merchant Hall in

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Syme, John 1795 births 1861 deaths Scottish portrait painters 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art 19th-century Scottish male artists