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Robert Herdman by William Brodie, 1859, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
John Campbell Shairp by Robert Herdman (1886)
The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
Herdman's house at 12 Bruntsfield Crescent, Edinburgh
Robert Herdman's grave, Grange Cemetery
Robert Inerarity Herdman RSA RSW (17 September 1829 – 10 January 1888) was a Victorian artist specialising in portraiture and historical compositions. He is also remembered for a series of pastoral scenes featuring young girls.
[1]
He received commissions from most Scottish city councils, and is work is found in many galleries including the
Royal Scottish Academy and
National Portrait Gallery, London .
He was elected an Associate of the RSA in 1861 and became a Fellow in 1863. He exhibited at the
Royal Academy and British Institution in
London 1861–1887. He exhibited in Philadelphia in 1876 and Paris in 1878.
[2]
Life
Herdman was born in
Rattray near Blairgowrie in
Perthshire . He is known to have originally studied divinity at the
University of St. Andrews but abandoned this and came to
Edinburgh in 1847 to train under
Robert Scott Lauder as an artist. He was a friend of Professor
John Stuart Blackie , who instilled in him a love of the
Celtic Revival reflected in his later works.
[2]
He lived mainly in
Edinburgh . In the 1860s he lived at 32 Danube street.
[3] In the 1880s he is listed as living at 12 Bruntsfield Crescent
[4]
He died in Edinburgh and is buried there in the
Grange Cemetery on the outer side of the northern slope to the central vaults.
Family
He was married to Emma Abbott. Their son
William Abbott Herdman
FRSE was an eminent oceanographer who served on the
Challenger Expedition .
His son Robert Duddingston Herdman (1863–1922) was also an artist.
[5]
Public works
This list is derived from multiple sources,
[2]
[6]
"After the Battle", "A Riverbank at Corrie, Arran", and a portrait of Baroness Shand (1867),
National Gallery of Scotland
Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley (1794–1888),
Hampshire County Council Arts and Museums collection
"Sleep", Leeds Museum
"Morning", "Evening", "Pleasures of Hope" and "Lochiel's Warning",
Glasgow City Museum
Sir
James David Marwick (1826–1908), Town Clerk of
Glasgow , Glasgow City Museum
Sir William Collins (1817–1895),
Lord Provost of Glasgow 1877-80, Glasgow City Museum
Rev George S. Burns, Minister of
Glasgow Cathedral , Glasgow City Museum
Sir James Watson (1801–1889),
Lord Provost of
Glasgow 1871-4, Glasgow City Museum
Peter Clouston,
Lord Provost of
Glasgow 1860-3, Glasgow City Museum
"The Execution of
Mary, Queen of Scots ", Glasgow City Museum
"A Sprig of Arran Heather",
Broughty Castle Museum
"A Pilot" (river pilot), "Wae's Me" and "Fern Gatherer",
Dundee City Council
George Rough,
Lord Provost of
Dundee ,
Dundee City Council
Sir
James Falshaw ,
Lord Provost of
Edinburgh 1874-7,
Edinburgh City Chambers
"The Time of Primroses", "The Arrochar Gleaner" (1862) and "A Fountain Group, South Italy",
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Self-Portrait (1883),
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Alexander Laing LLD, Newburgh,
Fife Council
Sir
Joseph Noel Paton ,
Fife Council
John Campbell Shairp ,
University of St. Andrews
John Tulloch (1823–1886),
University of St. Andrews (two paintings)
"Bonny Bell", "St. Columba Rescuing a Captive" and "Nary Queen of Scots meeting John Knox at Holyrood Palace",
Perth and Kinross Council
Sir
Theodore Martin ,
National Portrait Gallery, London (1876)
"Gathering Ferns",
Melbourne, Australia
"Who Still Dreams can Hear the Heavenly Harps",
Greenock Art Gallery
"La Culla"
Royal Scottish Academy
Other known portraits
The Rev William Scott-Moncrieff
Jane Amelia Wilson (later Mrs. Balfour-Melville)
References
International National Artists