Nasmyth, Alexander

About the artist

Name

Nasmyth, Alexander

Biography

Alexander Nasmyth was born in Edinburgh in 1758, the son of a master builder. After his schooling at the Royal High School he became an apprentice coach painter. Following this he studied at the Trustees Academy under John Runciman. In 1784 he was taken on by the portrait artist Allan Ramsay as his assistant in London. He returned to Edinburgh in 1778 and began painting portraits. In 1782 he left for Italy on a trip funded by one of his patrons. Here he began to paint landscapes. In 1785 he returned to Edinburgh and resumed portraiture. He completed a portrait of his friend Robert Burns two years later. In the early 1790's he established a drawing school and also began to paint Scottish landscapes, becoming a pioneer in this field. In addition to his artistic ability Nasmyth was also an accomplished architect, designing, for example, St Bernard's Well on the Water of Leith. He died in Edinburgh in 1840.

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