James Nairn

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Group portrait of students at the Wellington School of Design. James Nairn and Mabel Hill at far left. Woman posing with skeleton's arm around her shoulder is Mary Elizabeth Tripe.

James McLauchlan Nairn (18 November 1859 – 22 February 1904)[1] was a New Zealand painter who (along with G. P. Nerli) strongly influenced New Zealand painting in the late 19th century. He believed in en plein air or painting outdoors.[1]

Life and work

Nairn studied at the

Glasgow Boys
- a group of Scottish artist interested in Impressionism.

Nairn emigrated from Glasgow to

Dorothy Kate Richmond, Maud Winifred Sherwood, Mabel Hill, Maude Burge and Mollie Tripe
.

Nairn's Impressionist style is conveyed in his many paintings of Wellington harbour, especially in "Wellington Harbour, 1894" where his visible brushstrokes capture the effect of the afternoon sun on the water. He painted this landscape en plein air to more truthfully capture the effect of light on water.

Nairn joined the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts soon after settling in Wellington and was elected to the council from 1890 to 1903. He also formed the Wellington Art Club which met regularly at Nair's Pumpkin Cottage.[1] The cottage became a gathering point for Wellington artists. Nairn's influence was felt throughout New Zealand as he regularly sent works for exhibition in other centres.

He married Ellen Smith on 17 March 1898 and they had two daughters, Mari Bhan and Ellen May Victoria.

He died at his home in Wellington on 22 February 1904, probably of peritonitis.[2][3] He was 44.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-877385-12-3
    .
  2. ^ Colin McCahon, Auckland City Art Gallery. Catalog: James Nairn, Edward Fristrom Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine August 1964.
  3. hdl:10092/7955
    .

Sources

External links

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