Collections

Portrait of the Artist's Father, William Miller

Creator: Miller, James, RSA RSW · 1893-1987

A portrait of the artist's father.

In Miller's Obituary notice in the RSA Annual Report, 1987, assembled by Esme Gordon, RSA Secretary, from papers left by Miller at his death, he was quoted in reference to this work as follows; "My first exhibit at the Academy, a portrait in oils of my father (now in the R.S.A. collection) in 1924 won the Guthrie Award—until it was discovered that I was two years too old to be ‘a young Scottish Artist’ (it went instead to Miss Laelia Cockburn). But a letter from Mr Foggie, who was Secretary, suggested that | should keep on sending in oils as the members never went near the Watercolour Room. It became clear to me that figure compositions in oils were not suitable for weekend treatment. A medium that demanded quickness of technique was indicated so | took up watercolours which were also more convenient when travelling."

If this statement is correct in terms of the work being already in the RSA Collections during Miller's lifetime then the accession record is incorrect, as it states there that the portrait was from Miller's Bequest in 1987.However, the bracketed reference to the work being in the RSA Collections may be Esme Gordon's insert, and it would seem most likely to have been a work retained by the artist and parted with only as part of his bequest.

There are a number of inaccuracies in Miller's recollections. For example he was out by a year re the Guthrie Award; the RSA Annual Report for 1925 records Miss Laelia Cockburn as the recipient of the Guthrie Award that year, and not 1924. Furthermore, the RSA Exhibitor record shows that Miller's first exhibit was in 1920 when two Cornish landscapes were hung. There is no evidence of the present work being hung in the 1925 RSA AX and indeed it does not appear until the 1931 Annual.