Collections

   

Mackenzie, James Hamilton, ARSA

1875 – 1926

His early exhibiting efforts at RSA, RGI and SSA (of which latter body he was already on Council by 1905) attracted much favourable press coverage, Elected ARSA at Assembly on 1923-03-21. RSA Annual Report 1926 carried the following Obituary; "Mr. J. Hamilton Mackenzie, A.R.S.A., R.S.W., R.P.E. The tragic death in a railway accident, on 29th March, of Mr. J. Hamilton Mackenzie, followed by the death of Mr. Edwin Alexander, cast a shadow on the opening days of the Centenary Exhibition of 1926. Mr Mackenzie was born in Glasgow in 1875, and received his professional training at the School of Art under Mr. Fra H. Newbery. Gaining the Haldane Travelling Scholarship, he pursued his studies in Italy, returning to his native city, where his works in oil, water-colour, pastel, and etching attracted increasing attention. During the Great War Mr. Mackenzie enlisted as a private in the motor transport section of the R.A.S.C., seeing service in Kenya Colony, British East Africa, where he made a number of interesting studies. He was elected Associate in 1923, and had regularly exhibited at the Academy until his death. Mr. Mackenzie served as President of the Glasgow Art Club in 1923 and 1924. In 1910 he was elected a Member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water-Colours, and an Associate of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers. In 1913 the Corporation of Glasgow purchased Mr. Mackenzie’s work “Fleeting Shadows,” and his “ Woodcutters” was acquired by the Art Gallery at Birkenhead. In everything he did Mr. Mackenzie evidenced sincerity and unresting vitality. Never content with past achievement, he continued experimenting in every direction, while avoiding the extreme licence of much current practice. In disposition shy and retiring, Mr. Mackenzie was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him, and warmly loved by his friends." He was a widower at his death and the circumstances surrounding it suggest that he may have taken his own life although contemporary press coverage of the tragedy reported the incident as a n accident and reported him falling. However, the following report from the Dundee Courier would seem to support the suicide theory; "SCOTTISH ARTIST'S DEATH. Accidentally Fell From Train. A mysterious accident on the Glasgow to Edinburgh main line, near Broxburn, resulted in the death of J. Hamilton Mackenzie, the well-known Scottish artist, whose residence and studio are at 204 West Regent Street, Glasgow. Mr Mackenzie, who was a well-known traveller, painter, and exhibitor, was on his way to France. He left Glasgow about six o'clock on Monday evening en route for Edinburgh to be joined there by Dr Crawford, who intended to accompany him to the Continent. It is conjectured that he accidentally fell from the train, the door of the compartment in which he travelled was seen to be open. A signalman in the cabin at Broxburn Junction Goods Station observed a carriage door standing open on the train as it was passing the cabin. Just at that time a goods train proceeding in the other direction passed the passenger train, and immediately after the line became clear a man's body was seen lying on the permanent way between the two main lines at the spot where the signalman had first observed the open carriage door. When the body was found the limbs were badly fractured, and death apparently had been instantaneous. It seemed possible that in his fall he had been struck by the goods train."

Works in which this creator appears



An image from the RSA collection.