(_For the Mirror_.)
This distinguished landscape-painter was the son of Mr. Alexander
Nasmyth, an artist who is still living and well known in Edinburgh, at
which city Patrick was born about the year 1785. His education appears
to have been good, and he was early initiated in the art of painting
by his father, who constantly represented to him the many great
advantages to be derived from the study of nature rather than from the
old masters' productions, the greater portion of which have lost their
original purity by time and the unskilful management of those persons
who term themselves _picture restorers_. Far from confining himself to
the usual method adopted by most young artists of servilely imitating
old paintings, young Nasmyth very soon began to copy nature in all
her varied freshness and beauty. Scotland contains much of the
picturesque, and from this circumstance he seized every opportunity
to cultivate his genius for landscape-painting. With incessant
application he studied the accidental formation of clouds and the
shadows thrown by them on the earth; by which practice he acquired the
art of delineating with precision the most pleasing effects. His style
appears very agreeable and unaffected; he excelled however, only in
rural scenery, in which his skies, distant hills, and the barks of the
trees, are truly admirable. His foregrounds are always beautifully
diversified, and every blade of grass is true to nature. He is not
equal in every respect to Hobbima, yet certainly approximates nearer
to that celebrated master than any English artist.
In 1830, Mr. Nasmyth sold his valuable collection of original sketches
and drawings for thirty pounds to George Pennell, Esq., who also
purchased several of his exquisitely finished pictures, one of
which--a View in Lee Wood, near, Bristol--is now in the possession of
Lord Northwick. Nasmyth was a constant exhibitor at the Royal Academy,
the British Institution, &c., and his performances delighted the
uninstructed spectator as well as the connoisseur.
In person, he was of the middle stature, and possessed a manly
countenance with an agreeable figure. In conversation he was vivacious
and witty, especially when in company with a convivial party. His
character, in some respects, was similar to that of George Morland;
he was rather too much addicted to convivial pleasures, yet was ever
solicitous to mix with the best company, and his polite manners always
rendered him an acceptable guest; in this respect he was _unlike_
Morland, who, it is well known, loved to select his companions from
the lowest class of society. Although Nasmyth obtained considerable
sums for his pictures, he was never sufficiently economical to save
money; on the contrary his private affairs were in a very deranged
state. He was never married, and during the last ten years of his life
resided at Lambeth.
Towards the end of July, 1831, Mr. Nasmyth, accompanied by two of his
intimate acquaintances, made an excursion to Norwood for the purpose
of sketching. Much rain had fallen the day before, and the air was
still chilly; the artist, however, commenced his drawing, and remained
stationary for about two hours, when, the sketch being finished, he
rejoined the friends whom he had left at an inn. He then complained of
being excessively cold, but on taking something warm his usual spirits
returned, and the party passed the rest of the day pleasantly. On the
following morning, however, Nasmyth felt considerably indisposed,
and it appeared evident he had taken a violent cold. Notwithstanding
medical assistance, his indisposition daily increased; and on the 18th
of August he breathed his last, in the 46th year of his age.
He died in extreme poverty, and a subscription to defray the expenses
of the funeral was raised among his friends. Wilson, Stanfield, and
Roberts subscribed, and followed the remains of their late talented
friend to the grave in St. Mary's churchyard, Lambeth.