Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle

This sunlit Highland landscape depicts Braemar Castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The castle was originally constructed as a hunting lodge and as a strategic response to the growing influence of the Farquharson Clan in 1628. The painting by McIntosh is an original painting for the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and London Midland Scottish Railway (LMS) 'It's Quicker by Rail: Royal Deeside' poster of 1937.

As part of a series it was created to attract people to travel by train to either the east or west coast of Scotland. McIntosh, who at the time was renowned for his detailed landscape paintings of Scotland, was struggling to find recognition. He was not always popular with art critics and was rejected by the Royal Academy a number of times before finding success after Frank Pick, Chief Executive of London Transport, purchased a piece of his work in 1937 and commissioned the Harrow Weald poster designs soon after. This led to McIntosh's long standing relationship with various railway companies and eventually after the war the nationalised British Rail from the 1930's - 1960's.

The below image is of the watercolour of this scene by McIntosh in the Fleming Collection. The scene is believed to have been created by the artist en plein air and used to later complete the fully realised painting back in his studio.

James McIntosh Patrick 

McIntosh was one of Scotland's leading 20th century artists. Born in Dundee, he was the son of an architect and a linen ware designer. He studied at Glasgow School of Arts, gaining notable success in his 20's, through his acceptance into the Royal Academy (before his many rejections) as well as gaining an international reputation as a highly detailed landscape panorama and townscape printmaker. In the 1930's when printmaking fell out of popularity he resumed oil painting choosing mainly landscapes which later became emblems of railway posters.

In 1929, McIntosh started working at Dundee School of Art, teaching etching, painting and History of Art.

While he was teaching his career progressed as he was elected as an Associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers and in 1935 and then given the Guthrie Award for his painting Marion. As the outbreak of the second world war begun McIntosh was commissioned as a major in the Camouflage Wing of the Royal School of Military Engineering and served mainly in Italy and Northern Africa. His time abroad during the war permanently changed his artistic practice as he left behind his studio to work predominantly outdoors.

In 1957 he was elected in the Royal Scottish Academy and went on to have two solo shows at the Dundee City Art Gallery in 1967 and 1987. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by Dundee University in 1973 and an Honorary Fellowship of Duncan of Jordanstone college in 1988 before he died aged 91 in 1998.

Museums

National Railway Museum, York
McManus Galleries and Musuem, Dundee
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Glasgow Art Gallery
Edinburgh City Art Centre
Manchester Art Gallery
Walker Art Gallery
National Art Gallery of South Africa
National Art Gallery of South Australia
Sydney Art Gallery
Carnegie Institute, Pennsylvania
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

Literature

Richard Furness Poster to Poster: Railways Journeys in Art Volume I Scotland (JDF & Associates Ltd, Tirley, 2009, p. 80).
Royal Scottish Academy