John Blake McDonald RSA 1829-1901

John Blake McDonald, R.S.A., was born in the parish of Boharm, Morayshire, in 1829, where he received his education. Having shown a taste for Art, he came to Edinburgh in 1852 and studied in the Board's School of Design under Robert Scott Lauder.

His first contributions to the Annual Exhibtion of the Roayl Scottish Academy appeared in 1857, being "Portrait of Hugh Miller" and "Portrait of a Lady." In te following year he exhibited two genre subjects and a landscap, and in 1859 was represented among other works by "Portrait of the late John Brown, D.D." In the same year he entered as a student the Life School of the Royal Scottish Academy, where in 1862 he carried off the first prize for painting from the life.

Domestic genre pictures, with occasional portraits and lanscapes, were his productions at this period, but, having a strong attachment to the Highlands, his attention was soon directed to representations of its scenery, its story, its romande, with which subjects his name thereafter was mainly associated.

After 1876 his time was almost entirely given to landcape painting. In connection to his art he went to Venice in 1874, and at other times to Brussels, Jena, Paris and Cologne.

Among his most characteristis works are:- "Dugald Dalgety's Interview with Montrose," 1862: "Prince Charles leaving Scotland," 1863; "In the Forest of Ardmore" and "The Arrest of a Rebel after Culloden," 1864; "An Episode in the time of the Test Act," 1866; "Rob Roy," 1867; "The Alarm" 1868 ; "Prince Charlie’s Parliament," 1870; "Van Tromp’s Duel," 1871: "Early Morning in the Highlands," "In Glenfinlas" and "Duncraggan Huts," 1872; "Through the Drift," 1873; "Strathmore," 1877; "Tummel Falls," 1878; "Vale of Athole," 1879; and "Glencoe," his Diploma work. He was elelcted an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1862, and an Academician in 1877. His death took place on 21st December at his residence in Edinburgh.

RSA Obituary transcribed from the 1901 RSA Annual Report