Collections

Cattle and Sheep in a Highland Landscape

Artist: Burnet, James M · 1784-1816

Cattle and Sheep in a Highland Landscape

This painting was previously ascribed to Joseph Farquharson and then to Unknown, by which it was accessioned into the Collections. It was then…

This painting was previously ascribed to Joseph Farquharson and then to Unknown, by which it was accessioned into the Collections.

It was then attributed to William Simson on the evidence, unearthed on 2018-07-02 by R H Rodger, RSA Documentation Officer, of its appearing on a list of Art Property in the Possession of the Royal Scottish Academy drawn up in 1856, a transcript of which is in Box File 93, the original being with the 1856 Letters Collection. The list records a painting by William Simson "Moor Scene With Cattle" which was purchased. No other works in the collection by Simson tallied and this was the only other oil which matched the title subject matter and for whom neither artist nor provenance were known. Having discussed matters with RSA Collections Curator, Sandy Wood, it was agreed to amend the record accordingly.

On 2022-05-06 a chance discovery by R H Rodger, RSA Documentation Officer in the RSA General Assembly Minutes approving of the purchase of three paintings by RSA Council appears to have put beyond doubt the true authorship of the present work.

Two of the oils were Dutch paintings by the same artist of Wolves; the third of "Cattle &c in a Landscape" was stated to be a rare example by the short-lived Leith-born artist James M Burnet (1788-1819) who specialised in cattle paintings from his base in London before his early death from tuberculosis. Burnet's elder brother was the engraver turned art writer John Burnet HRSA (1784-1868).

RSA Voucher Collection holds the original receipt for the painting dated 1866-07-03, the vendor being the engraver Thomas Oldham Barlow RA, of Auburn Lodge, Victoria Road, Kensington, London, and the purchase price £31.00.

A comparison of the handling of the present work with the work of William Simson and of James M Burnet would favour the latter.