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Study of Butterburn

image © The Maas Gallery | All Rights Reserved

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Artist

Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

Collection

The Maas Gallery

Description

A precocious talent was evident in the young Thorburn during his upbringing at Viewfield House in Lasswade near Edinburgh, where he was often to be found out in the fields, spread out upon the grass studying the minute details of nature. This obsessive study of the smallest of details, manifested in early childhood, was a sign of the meticulousness which would lead to great success in later years. Robert Thorburn, Archibald's father, was an artist of notable success, a miniaturist patroned by Queen Victoria. Archibald's panache as a mature painter was due to Robert Thorburn's insistence upon accuracy of detail in his formative years and the young artist was forced to accept the tough lesson of his father tearing up his less successful artistic efforts. Thorburn moved from Scotland to London in 1885 after the death of his father and settled in Belsize Park. He was famously hard working, painting rapidly to complete the many commissions he began to receive. Rising promptly after dawn, he would plunge into a cold bath, consume a large bowl of porridge oats sent especially from Scotland and be out in the fields sketching before most people had begun to stir.

Image Licence

All Rights Reserved

Image Credit

image © The Maas Gallery

Location

England

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Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform