Archibald A McGlashan RSA 16/03/1888-03/01/1980

Archibald McGlashan was born in Paisley on 16^th March, 1888 and died on 3^rd January 1980. After a formal education he gravitated to the Glasgow School of Art. There he met three kindred spirits who were to have a stimulating influence on the Scottish  Art – Robert Sivell, R.S.A., James Cowie, R.S.A., and Jack Lamont, A.R.S.A.

They were not interested in the general course for art teachers; but were bent on becoming painters in their own right. This was at a time when “The Glasgow School’ was considered to have passed its zenith and was becoming too commercial. Fra H. Newbery was director of the School and Maurice Grieffenhagen was head of the Drawing Section, at that time.

The four students were received with open arms and given every encouragement. It is said that Newbery suggested that they should look at the source of good painting – the Italian Renaissance. This they did with enthusiasm. At the end of their training McGlashan was given a Haldane travelling scholarship which enabled him to visit most of the main galleries in Europe. In Holland he saw Rembrandt, Franz Hals and was duly impressed, but, it was in Italy that he found his spiritual home.

He often spoke of Tintoretto with great enthusiasm. At home he did glance at Augustus John but it was a short glance. The French Impressionists, American Art, English Art didn’t seem to impress him. (The writer recollects a time when his friend Sivell described the French Impressionists as ‘Sunday Afternoon Painters’.) McGlashan seemed content to paint from his own immediate environment.

His home, his wife, his children, still-life, flowers, fruit – he did paint many other children but these were almost incidental to his main output. His painting ‘Woman and Child’ – his wife and child – is surely one of the best paintings in Scotland – Kelvingrove Art Gallery, and his painting of another of his children is worthy of Tintoretto himself – now in the Hutchison Family.

He was one of the founder members of the Glasgow Society of Painters and Sculptors. As President of the Glasgow Art Club he endeared himself to everyone but his style was warm humanity. He is represented in many Galleries, both here and abroad. McGlashan was a most likeable man and prepared to stand alone. He was elected an Associate of the Academy in 1935 and became a full Academician in 1938.

His later years were spent with his daughter and son-in-law who handsomely provided him with every creature comfort and warm affection. His talented son John—renowned for his brilliant drawings and with social comment visited him, periodically. These visits from an attractive and talented son brought his father great pleasure.

RSA Obituary by Hugh Adam Crawford, transcribed from the 1980 RSA Annual Report