William McTaggart
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William McTaggart (25 October 1835 – 2 April 1910) was a Scottish
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
and
marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...
painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
who was influenced by
Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
.


Life and work

The son of a
crofter A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer, especially in rural area ...
, William McTaggart was born in the small village of
Aros Aros may refer to: *Aros (Middle-earth), a river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium * Aros, Mull, the location of Aros Castle, a ruined 13th-century castle on the Isle of Mull, Scotland *AROS Research Operating System, a free software i ...
, near
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
Kintyre Kintyre ( gd, Cinn Tìre, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East and West Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately north ...
a western peninsula of Scotland. He moved to
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 ...
at the age of 16 and studied at 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 ...
under
Robert Scott Lauder Robert Scott Lauder (25 June 1803 – 21 April 1869) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a "historical painter". He was one of the original members of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Lauder was born at Silvermills, Ed ...
. He won several prizes as a student and exhibited his work in 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 ...
, becoming a full member of the Academy in 1870. His early works were mainly
figure painting A figure painting is a work of fine art in any of the painting media with the primary subject being the human figure, whether clothed or nude. Figure painting may also refer to the activity of creating such a work. The human figure has been on ...
s, often of children, but he later turned to land and
marine art Marine art or maritime art is a form of figurative art (that is, painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture) that portrays or draws its main Sea in culture, inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea ...
specifically
seascape A seascape is a photograph, painting, or other work of art which depicts the sea, in other words an example of marine art. The word originated as a formation from landscape, which was first used of images of land in art. By a similar devel ...
painting, inspired by his childhood love of the sea and the rugged,
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
-lashed west coast of his birth. McTaggart was fascinated with nature and man’s relationship with it, and he strove to capture aspects such as the transient effects of light on water. He adopted the Impressionist practice of painting out of doors, and his use of colour and bold brushwork resemble qualities found in paintings by
Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
and
Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for turni ...
, both artists whom he admired. McTaggart was skilled in the use of both
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
and
watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...
and, in addition to Kintyre seascapes, he also painted landscapes and seascapes 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, ...
and
East Lothian East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In 1975, the histo ...
. Many of his later works depict the
Moorfoot Hills The Moorfoot Hills are a range of hills south of Edinburgh in east central Scotland, one of the ranges which collectively form the Southern Uplands. Etymology The name ''Moorfoot'' was recorded as ''Morthwait'' in 1142. The second element is O ...
which could be seen from his house near
Lasswade Lasswade is a village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River North Esk, nine miles (14.5 kilometres) south of Edinburgh city centre, contiguous with Bonnyrigg and between Dalkeith to the east and Loanhead to the west. Melville C ...
, which he moved to in 1889. He is regarded as one of the great interpreters of the Scottish landscape and is often labelled the "Scottish Impressionist". He married Marjory Henderson (1856-1936), the daughter of another painter,
Joseph Henderson (artist) Joseph Henderson (1832–1908) was a Scottish landscape painter, genre painter, portrait painter and marine painter. His genre was particularly painting working men such as shepherds, crofters, pedlars, cobblers, fishermen and farm labour ...
RSW (1832–1908), Joseph's sons
John Henderson (1860–1924) John Henderson (1860-1924) was a Scottish Glaswegian landscape and portrait painter and Director of Glasgow School of Art Family John Henderson was the brother of the painter Joseph Morris Henderson RSA (1863-1936) and the son of the Scottish ...
and
Joseph Morris Henderson Joseph Morris Henderson RSA (1863–1936) was a Scottish Glaswegian landscape, portrait, genre and coastal scenery oil and watercolour painter. He was born and died in Glasgow. Family J. Morris Henderson, the name he used to sign his pain ...
(1863–1936) also being painters. McTaggart painted a striking portrait of his father-in-law, Joseph Henderson, which hangs in the Glasgow Museum. One of his pupils was the Scottish marine painter
James Campbell Noble James Campbell Noble (22 July 1845 – 25 September 1913) was a Scottish painter. He signed his paintings, mostly in the left hand bottom corner, as J.C. Noble or as J.Campbell Noble. Education He initially studied at the board of manufa ...
. He is buried in
Newington Cemetery Newington Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland. Technically it lies beyond Newington itself, standing on an awkward elongated kite-shaped site between a railway line and Dalkeith Road, between Prestonfield and Peffermill. History ...
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 ...
just south of the main roundel on a corner between paths. He lies with both his first and second wives: Mary Holmes (d. 1884, aged 47), Marjory Henderson (d. 1936, aged 80). Three of his children died in infancy and are buried with him. His daughter, Annie Mary (1864–1949), who married the art historian Sir
James Caw Sir James Lewis Caw LLD HRSA (25 September 1864 – 5 December 1950) was a Scottish art historian, critic and gallery director. He argued for the existence of an independent and free-standing "Scottish school of painting" arising in the second half ...
, lies alongside. His paper are held by the Bonnyrigg and Lasswade Local History Society.


Dealers and Trade in McTaggart Paintings

In most of his middle years McTaggart used Peter McOmish Dott of Aitken & Dott 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 ...
as his dealer. Only in 1897 did Dott expand his viewing area at Castle Street to show contemporary Scottish art. In 1909 Dott sold 20 oils and 10 Watercolours by McTaggart to James Ramsay of
Tayport Tayport, also known as Ferry-Port on Craig, is a town and burgh, and parish, in the county of Fife, Scotland, acting as a commuter town for Dundee. The motto of the Burgh is ''Te oportet alte ferri'' ("It is incumbent on you to carry yourself ...
. The most avid buyer from Dott was John W Blyth who bought 45 McTaggarts. From 1873 the influential art dealer Alexander Reid began purchasing his works but not until 1894 did he begin to buy in number. In 1906 Reid held the first one-man-show for McTaggart in his Glasgow gallery on St Vincent Street, exhibiting twenty works. The most expensive work was priced at £400. In April 1907 Reid sold a McTaggart to the collector, J Reid Wilson in Canada. In June 1911, Reid sold "The Herring Fleet" to Leonard Gow for £275. In March 1912 he sold a painting of
Port Seton Cockenzie and Port Seton ( sco, Cockennie ; gd, Cùil Choinnich, meaning "cove of Kenneth") is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles east of Musselburgh. The burgh of Cockenzie was crea ...
to William Boyd of
Broughty Ferry Broughty Ferry (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Bruach Tatha''; Scots: ''Brochtie'') is a suburb of Dundee, Scotland. It is situated four miles east of the city centre on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. The area was a separate burgh from 1864 until ...
for £350, and "Harvest Field,
Carnoustie Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...
" to William McInnes for £105. John W Blyth bought "End of the Links" and "Cornfields in the Snow" from Reid in 1912, but had to pay the £450 for the first in instalments, and owed £260 for the second for a long period. From 1913 Alexander Reid entered into an agreement with Aitken & Dott of Edinburgh to split the cost of all McTaggart purchases and split the price of all sales. From this agreement Reid paid £367 10s for his share of "Away Over the Sea" which Aitken Dott bought at auction from Christies, and received his half (£407 10s) when sold on in
Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
. In July 1916 Aitken Dott paid £450 for their half of "
Machrihanish Bay Machrihanish Bay is a large remote tidal north by northeast coastal facing Bay, embayment, located next to the Campbeltown Airport within Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula. Machrihanish Bay has th ...
- Jura in the Distance" which was then sold on to Wiliam Boyd of
Broughty Ferry Broughty Ferry (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Bruach Tatha''; Scots: ''Brochtie'') is a suburb of Dundee, Scotland. It is situated four miles east of the city centre on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. The area was a separate burgh from 1864 until ...
on 12 October for £1000, with Aitken Dott receiving £500. In April 1914 Reid offered Blyth "The Emigrants" in part exchange for
Eugène Boudin Eugène Louis Boudin (; 12 July 18248 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors. Boudin was a marine painter, and expert in the rendering of all that goes upon the sea and along its shores. His pastels, summa ...
's "Les Fourges" plus £150 in cash. This deal fell through and ultimately Blyth paid £750 in several instalments. Blyth abandoned his purchase of McTaggart in 1925 and switched to
Samuel Peploe Samuel John Peploe (pronounced PEP-low; 27 January 1871 – 11 October 1935) was a Scottish Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the Scottish Colouris ...
. In February 1919 the collector R. A. Workman bought four pictures for £5000 total: "Girls Bathing, White Bay", "Dark Blue Sea, Carradale, "The Storm" and "A School in Arran". In March 1920 Reid found a buyer for "Where the Smugglers came Ashore" which was held by Aitken Dott (but acquired prior to their agreement). He paid Aitken Dott £918 for a half share and sold it to
David W. T. Cargill David William Traill Cargill (1872–1939) was a Scottish philanthropist and art collector. He gives his name to the David W T Cargill Fund. He endowed the David Cargill Chair of Geriatric Medicine at Glasgow University. He was described as an ...
(1872-1939) immediately for £2500.Alexander Reid in Context, Frances Fowle,_vol1


Paintings

Amongst McTaggart's better known works are: * ''Spring'', 1864 * ''Off to the Fishing'', 1871 * ''Through Wind and Rain'', 1875 * ''The Bait Gatherers'', 1879 * ''The Storm'', 1890 * ''Lobster Fishers Machrihanish Bay'', 1909 * ''Fisher Boy'', 1862 * ''John Kelly Stuart'', 1879


See also

* List of Scots artists


References


External links

*
William McTaggart at artcyclopedia.com



National Galleries Scotland


{{DEFAULTSORT:Mctaggart, William 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 20th-century Scottish painters British Impressionist painters Landscape artists People from Argyll and Bute Artists from Edinburgh 1835 births 1910 deaths Scottish watercolourists Royal Scottish Academicians Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art 19th-century Scottish male artists 20th-century Scottish male artists