ROBERT GEMMELL HUTCHISON RSA RBA ROI RSW (SCOTTISH 1855 - 1936),
CARNOUSTIE
oil on board, signed
image size 22cm x 29cm, overall size 35cm x 42cm
Framed.
Note: Robert Gemmell Hutchison was born at 35, North Richmond Street, Edinburgh on 1st July 1855. He was the first child of George Hutchison, a brass founder, and his wife Margaret Forman. Soon after his birth, the family moved to 37, Carrubbers Close, Canongate. It is not recorded which school Robert attended but he did not enjoy the experience! He was described as “scraping from class to class with as little work as possible, and, as soon as he could, leaving it gladly”. From the census of 1871, the family was still at 37, Carrubbers Close and had increased to seven; three sons and four daughters. With encouragement from his mother of whom he “always speaks with great reverence”, he was determined to become an artist and aged 17, enrolled at the Board of Manufacturers` School of Art in Edinburgh (also called the Trustees Academy). One of his instructors here was William McTaggart. He also attended the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) Schools. At this time, he received valuable advice and help from the artist J. Campbell Noble RSA and thus encouraged, he sent some of his paintings to the RSA Annual Exhibitions. After several rejections, he was eventually successful in 1878 when he had three small landscapes exhibited: Youthful Labour, Quiet Pastures and A Country Well. One of these was bought by the Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland and for which Hutchison received the sum of six guineas. He submitted the paintings from his studio at 1, India Buildings, Edinburgh. On 24th June 1879, Robert aged 23, married Janet Boe who was 21 and the daughter of a grocer in Biggar. The marriage took place at 4, Morningside Park, Edinburgh. On the marriage certificate he listed his occupation as “artist (figure painter)” and his address as 38, Jamaica Street, Edinburgh. The couple had nine children only five of whom survived infancy. These were four daughters; Jane (1880-1956), Marion Maud (1887-1963), Roberta Louise (1889-1966), Ann Carr Forman (1893-1978) and a son, George Jackson Hutchison who was born in 1895. After a period spent painting landscapes along the Fife coast, Robert began to specialise in scenes of Scottish rural life especially those involving children and in the year after his marriage, he had a painting The Empty Cradle exhibited at the Royal Academy (RA) in London. His studio was now at 53, George Street, Edinburgh. There followed five exhibits at the RA over the next decade. He continued to exhibit annually at the RSA and in 1886 was awarded a prize for his painting Boys Guddling Trout. From 1888 onwards he also exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute. At the 1891 Census he was an “artist, figure and portrait”, living at 4, Melville Place, Edinburgh with his wife and four daughters. His son George was born at the same address four years later. He began to paint and exhibit widely throughout Britain. A favourite location was Carnoustie in Angus where he had a house, “Coral Den”, in William Street. He also painted at Machrihanish, at Musselburgh and on the Farne Islands. Robert was elected to many prestigious institutions throughout the British Isles including the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, (RSW) in 1895, the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA), 1896, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), and Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy (ARSA) in 1901. In 1903 he exhibited a work Bairnies Cuddle Doon at the Paris Salon. He was awarded a gold medal and the painting was purchased by the Scottish Modern Arts Association. He was awarded a second gold medal at the Paris Salon Exhibition of 1928 for his painting The White Seam. This was bought by Paisley Corporation and is now at the Paisley Museum and Art Gallery. Hutchison was elected to full membership of the RSA in 1911, replacing William McTaggart who had died the previous year. Several examples of Gemmell Hutchison's paintings have sold at auction in recent years for figures over and around £100,000. He retains his position as one of Scotland's best loved artists of the late 19th and early 20th century.