D788709 91A0550?A . 80;2@10=3# 930;7;5 0;2 A316;7>B3 !C<8% 7" 2EXMH @GTWVRQ 0 ALIUMU @WFPMVVIH JRT VLI 2IKTII RJ =L2 EV VLI BQMXITUMV[ RJ @V% 0QHTIYU (--( 4WOO PIVEHEVE JRT VLMU MVIP MU EXEMOEFOI MQ ?IUIETGL/@V0QHTIYU.4WOOAIZV EV. LVVS.&&TIUIETGL$TISRUMVRT[%UV$EQHTIYU%EG%WN& =OIEUI WUI VLMU MHIQVMJMIT VR GMVI RT OMQN VR VLMU MVIP. LVVS.&&LHO%LEQHOI%QIV&('')*&)-,+ ALMU MVIP MU STRVIGVIH F[ RTMKMQEO GRS[TMKLV WILLIAM McTAGGART: Landscape Meaning and Technique by David Scruton Submitted for the degree of PhD. University of St.Andrews September 1990 I ABSTRACT This thesis alms to provide an interpretation of McTaggart's work within a discussion of critical discourse in British art, referring In particular to the relative values of content and technique, in the second half of the nineteenth century. The first section contains an overview of the critical approaches to McTaggart's work from early career to the present day, centred upon how the notion of "impressionist" has been applied to McTaggart. This Is followed by an examination of some of the broad determinants of McTaggart's career, such as patronage and his relationship with Academic establishment. Section II deals with content In landscape art, looking first at the status of landscape In British art. It examines how content was dealt with in Scottish landscape painting prior to McTaggart, and how McTaggart's choice of painting locations addressed traditions of Scottish landscape. The notion of the "poetic" landscape Is advanced as an appropriate Interpretation of McTaggart's approach. Within this, specific Influences upon McTaggart, such as that of J.E. Millais and 3.C. Hook, are studied. In Section III, the Issue of technique Is examined. Again, McTaggart's work is set within a framework of critical values, outlining the importance of technique in critical debate in the late nineteenth century. The extent to which McTaggart may have come Into direct contact with French Impressionism and contemporary colour theory Is questioned and the way in which the concepts of "Impressionism", "effect", "finish" and "unity" were discussed, and the extent to which they can be applied to McTaggart's work, are appraised. U The concluding section suggests that, despite apparent polarisation of form and content in critical debate, the fusion of technique and subject was still an important aesthetic standard. The inter-relation of content and technique in McTaggart's landscape art is examined within two case studies. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Access to pictures by McTaggart and other artists has been aided by the staff of many galleries, museums and private Individuals. I am particularly grateful to members of the McTaggart family, including Colin Fisher, Hugh Fisher, Ian Fisher, Nora Fisher, Miss Anne Macandrew, Hugh Macandrew, Mrs E MacTaggart and Neil McTag-gart. Various aid and advice has been provided by numerous people. I would like to especially thank William Buchanan, Lindsay Errington, Martin Kemp, Adam Ritchie, Meta Viles, David Walker and Clara Young. The facilities and assistance provided by the staff of the following libraries have been much appreciated: The National Library of Scotland; Edinburgh District Art Library; St.Andrews University Library; The National Art Library, Victoria & Albert Museum; The Witt Library, Courtauld Institute; Dundee District Local History Library. Archives were also consulted at the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy. The Scottish Gallery generously allowed access to their past sales ledgers. My final thanks must go to Robin Spencer, my supervisor, for his valuable guidance and challenging suggestions. For Laura V CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii SECTION I INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Critical Overview 5 Chapter 3 Determinants of cTaggart's career -Introduction 22 -Academy Training 23 -Portraiture 28 -JicTaggart 's Early Patrons 32 -P.ffccnish Dott and Later Collectors 45 -IfcTaggart as an Independent Artist 50 SECTION II LANDSCAPE KEANING Chapter 4 Introduction - The Status and Function 62 of Landscape Art in the mid 19th Century Chapter 5 !leaning in Scottish Landscape Art -Introduction 70 -Landscape in 19th century Scottish art 71 -The Perception of the Scottish Landscape 75 -ffcTaggart's painting locations 89 Chapter 6 The Poetic Landscape -Introduction 100 -Symbolism and the Influence of Nillais 104 in IfcTaggar-t' s Early Work -NcTaggart's Literary Sources 114 -The Rural Landscape 122 Chapter 7 Figure and Seascape -Introduction 129 -The Sea in IfcTaggart's Early Work 131 -J.C. Hook 133 -The Storm 138 -Pure seascape 140 SECT ION III LANDSCAPE TECHNIQUE Chapter 8 Introduction - The Importance of 147 Technique Chapter 9 licTaggart and Impressionism 150 vi Chapter 10 Effect, Impression and Finish -Introduction 161 -h'cTaggart and Finish 165 -Pro -Raphaeli te Naturalism 168 -Ruskin and Finish 175 -Effect and Finish 178 -En .Plein Air' 187 -Effect, Tone and Colour 192 Chapter 11 Unity and Breadth of Effect -Pictorial Unity as a Critical Standard 196 -Figures and Compositional Structure 200 -The Classical Composition 205 -Canvas Extensions 207 Colour Theory and Technique Chapter 12 -Introduction 213 -Colour and the Scott Lauder School 215 -Traditional and Modern Methods 219 -Colour Mixing 222 230 -Warm and Cool Hue -High-Key Tonality 233 -Coloured Grounds and the Restriction 240 of Tonal Range Chapter 13 cTaggart's Watercolour Technique 244 SECTION IV CONCLUSION Chapter 14 Introduction: The Inter-Relation of 253 Subject and Technique Chapter 15 Figure and Landscape 258 -Introduction 259 -The Soldier's Return -The Fni grant Series 265 NOTES 275 APPENDIX I Chronology of !lcTaggart's Painting Trips 314 APPENDIX II flajor Exhibitions at which work by 316 licTaggart exhibited APPENDIX III Statistical Analysis of Composition of 318 Selected Annual Exhibitions in Scotland BIBL IOGRA.PHY 320 ILLUSTRATIONS Volume II vU LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Abbreviations used: o/c oil on canvas o/p oil on panel w/c watercolour nd not dated PC private collection Measurements are given In centimetres, height preceding width. The dimensions of untraced works by McTaggart and of some works in private collections have been taken from James Caw William McTaggart (Glasgow, 1917). The years of undated works have also been taken from Caw. Works by McTaggart are given in chronological order. Other works are given alphabetically by artist. WORKS BY McTAGGART 1. Stump Drawing from the Antique 1855; pencil; 75 x 106, Edinburgh College of Art 2. PortraIt of Walter Smith 1856; red and black chalk heightened with white; 51 x 41.7; National Gallery of Scotland 3. Portrait of the Head and Shoulders of an Unknown Man 1858; black, red and blue chalk on buff paper; Trustees of the Misses McTaggart 4. The Thorn in the Foot 1858/9; 0/c; 914 x 61; untraced 5. Going to Sea 1858/9; 0/c; 81 x 71.5; Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery 6. Anxious Enquiries c,1860; o/p; 252 x 21.6; Art Gallery of New South Wales 7. Study for The Past and the Present 1860; 0/c; 22.3 x 27.4; National Gallery of Scotland 8. The Past and the Present 1860; 0/c; 76.2 x 91.5; Sir John MacTaggart Bart 9. The Wreck of the Hesperus 1861; 0/c; 74 x 90; James Holloway 10. The Old Pathway 1861; 0/c; 71.2 x 91.9; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums (Orchar Collection) viii 11. The Old Pump Well 1862; 0/c; 60 x 72.5; Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum 12. Puir Weans 1863; 0/c; 38 x 32.5; PC 13. Bessie Bell and Mary Gray c.1863; 0/c; 63.5 x 50.8; untraced 14. Spring 1864; 0/c; 45.]. x 60.4; National Gallery of Scotland 15. Autumn 1864; 0/c; 44.4 x 59.7; Pc 16. Enoch Ar-den 1865-6; 0/c; 57.2 x 82.6; untraced 17. A Day's Fishing - Morning 1866; 0/c; 45.7 x 61; Bourne Fine Art, July 1990 18. A Day's Fishing - Evening 1866; 0/c; 45.7 x 61; Bourne Fine Art, July 1990 19. Dora (Twilight) dated by Caw 1866 but stylistically possibly later; o/p; 20 x 15; Trustees of Miss Bar-bra McTaggart 20. The Murmur of the Shell 1867; 0/c; 70 x 90; PC 21. Willie Baird 1867; 0/c; 62.2 x 76.2; untraced 22. The Old Net 1868; 0/c; 46.4 x 61.3; Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums 23. Dora 1869; 0/c; 116.8 x 96.5; Royal Scottish Academy 24. The Young Trawlers 1869; 0/c; 99 x 124; Pc 25. On the White Sands 1870; 0/c; 43.8 x 57.7; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums (Orchar Collection) 26. Adrift 1870-71; 0/c; 41.9 x 59.9; PC 27. SomethIng out of the Sea c.1870-73; 70.8 x 106; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums (Orchar Collection) 28. Two Boys and Dog in Boat c.1871; 0/c; 36.1 x 54; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums (Orchar Collection) 29. Through Wind and Rain 1875; 0/c; 85 x 140; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums 30. Machrihanish, Wet Weather 1875; w/c; 37 x 56; Trustees of Miss Barbra McTaggart ix 31. The Young Fishers 1876; 0/c; 72.4 x 108; National Gallery of Scotland 32. Man and Boy and Boat 1876; o/p; 22.5 x 33; Dundee Art Galleries and Museums (Orchar Collection) 33. A Highland Burn 1876; illustration after oil (81.3 x 109.2) in The Scottish Art Review, vol.1, no.4, September 1888, opposite p.88 34. Children Paddling 1877; w/c; 35.5 x 53.2; National Gallery of Scotland 35. The Edge of the Sea 1877; w/c; 33.6 x 51.4; Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum 36.