McKenzie, David Maitland, RSA(forfeited)
1806 – 1869
Appearing as Daniel, David or Donald Mackenzie with or without the middle name Maitland, or "M" (erroneously interpreted as "W" and operating out of different addresses in Glasgow and Edinburgh, his dates were universally given as born 1800 but dying in 1874 or 1875 or 1880. His correct details were finally established by RSA Documentation Officer on 2023-03-20. The discovery that he died in the Old Mearns Asylum in Glasgow may explain his being forced to forfeit his Membership of the Academy, which he had joined in 1829, in 1832 on the grounds that he had failed to abide by his obligations over depositing a Diploma work. McKenzie was the first Member to suffer such humility. Esme Gordon in his History of the Royal Scottish Academy (1976) pp.55-56 references Mackenzie's [sic] dismissal and suggests "It is possible that ostensible unfrocking was in reality a diplomatic cloak." as McKenzie was not alone in failing to submit his Diploma work on time. Six years later John Wilson Ewbank was similarly removed though it is evident that Ewbank's alcoholism was the more likely underlying cause. RSA Council Minutes 1832-06-13; "The Council proceeded to the consideration of the [???] of those members who had not fulfilled the laws of Election. Mr Joseph was found to have sent no specimen of his abilities in terms of Act IV Sect I, the Council defer coming to a decision on his case. Having established McKenzie's true identity, the artist Donald Mackenzie of High Riggs, 2 Portland Place, Edinburgh, an exhibitor at the RSA AX 1871-74 can be removed from the list of confusions for David Maitland McKenzie RSA, however the Daniel Mc/MacKenzie who had works shown at RSA AX between 1841 and 1857 and posthumously in the extra shows of 1863 and 1880 is one and the same as D M McKenzie RSA. McKenzie is only the second Member known to have died in an Asylum, Robert Gibb I having died in the Edinburgh Asylum in 1837. Nothing has been found concerning the Asylum where McKenzie died.
