John James Bannatyne

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Biography

John James Bannatyne RSW (1832 – 1911)

John James Bannatyne was a late 19th and early 20th century Scottish painter and watercolourist specialising in Highland landscapes and seascapes.
He was born in 1832 in Glasgow. His career, prior to becoming an artist, was as a designer with the calico printing company, Dalglish, Falconer & Co Ltd.
Living as he did in the Industrial Age, Bannatyne was among the many artists who took advantage of the new railway network, which allowed him to search out new and inspirational landscapes. He was drawn to North Wales, The Lake District and Scotland.

The influence of the Industrial Revolution in Britain was both economically and artistically far reaching. The North of England prospered as mill and factory owners generated a vibrant and strong economy. Many such men became great patrons of the Arts creating a huge demand for paintings by artists such as Bannatyne that were to adorn their new homes and boardrooms.

His works were exhibited at

• The Royal Academy – from 1869 to 1886
• The Royal Scottish Academy – from 1861 to 1897
• The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours,
• The Royal Institute of Oil Painters
• The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours(13), The
• Royal Society of British Artists
• The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts

He was elected to Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours in 1878

An article in The Scotsman Newspaper, written on his death in 1911 states: “Mr Bannatyne…began his career as a designer in Glasgow, but taking up art, he went to London, exhibiting many water-colours at the Royal Academy and other exhibitions. Later he worked in oils. Most of his pictures were landscapes and he found his subjects as a rule on the West Coast and in the Western Highlands. He returned to Glasgow twenty-one years ago. Mr Bannatyne was an original member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colours and joined the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts and the Art Club.