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Bessie MacNicol (1869-1904)

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Scottish painter Elizabeth MacNicol was born in Glasgow on the 17 July 1869 to a schoolmaster and his wife.
She attended Glasgow School of Art from 1887 until 1892 before travelling to Paris to study at the Academie Colarossi.
On her return to Scotland, MacNicol took on a studio in St Vincent Street and became closely associated with the circle of Glasgow Boys.



In 1896 MacNicol spent time in Kirkcudbright at the studio of Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933) and the influence of the Glasgow Boys, such as Hornel and George Henry (1858-1943) can be seen in MacNicol's bright palette and brush style.
MacNicol worked both in oil and watercolours and her favourite subjects were young girls painted en plein air.
Her work was regularly exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, at the International Society in London, and at various continental and American Galleries.

In 1899 she married a fellow artist and established a large studio at the back of their house at Hillhead in Glasgow.
MacNicol continued to paint and exhibit until her premature death at the age of 34. | Source: © Glasgow Museums















MacNicol studiò alla Glasgow School of Art dal 1887 al 1893.
Sotto la direzione di Fra Newbery i suoi contemporanei includevano le sorelle Macdonald Margaret e Frances, Jessie Keppie e Kate Cameron.
Nel 1893 MacNicol espose alla Royal Academy di Londra prima di intraprendere ulteriori studi all'Académie Colarossi di Parigi.
Contribuendo quasi ogni anno alle mostre del Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts dal 1893 al 1904, iniziò ad attirare l'attenzione e nel 1896 aprì il suo primo studio al 175 di St Vincent Street.


La sua unica mostra personale si tenne presso l'Art Rooms di Stephen Gooden a Glasgow nel 1899.
Per il resto, esponendo molto occasionalmente alla Royal Scottish Academy, la sua reputazione fu rafforzata esponendo a Gand, Monaco, Vienna, Pittsburgh e St. Louis.
Nel 1904 MacNicol morì di eclampsia.

I necrologi della stampa deploravano la prematura perdita a favore della Scozia di una pittrice potenzialmente brillante "degna di essere classificata con il migliore dei suoi figli artisti". | Fonte: © National Galleries of Scotland.