William Darling McKay 10/12/1844-1924

The Academy suffered an incalculable loss in the death of its beloved Secretary, in his 81st year, on Wednesday, 10th December, at his residence, 1 Warrender Park Crescent. William Darling M‘Kay, the eldest son of the parish Schoolmaster, was born at Gifford in 1844.

His bent towards Art must have been compelling, as he commenced

serious study at the School of Art in Edinburgh at the early age of 16, and thereafter passed into the Academy Life School, where the visitors were Kenneth Macleay, Gourlay Steell and Robert Herdman.

The influence of the personalities and work of Hugh Cameron, William MacTaggart and George Paul Chalmers, however, were of much greater importance in forming young M‘Kay’s outlook on Nature and Art; among his companion were Lawton Wingate, George Reid and Robert Gibb. There never was a more diligent student, nor a more single-minded, and he made steady progress.

For his subject matter the quiet undulating landscape of his native county, the farm workers, the river banks, the shady lanes, the bosky woods, held him from first to last, and he bent all his energies to realise their charm.

By 1878, the year after his election as Associate, at the age of 34 he had attained the fullness of his powers, “An October Morning” of that period, when re-exhibited in the Academy in 1919, met with unqualified admiration trom his brother artists, old and young; many of the latter had not realised tili then the beauty and strength of M‘Kayat his prime. It is needless here to catalogue his works, which for sixty years never failed to represent him at the annual exhibitions.

Mention only may be made of his diploma work and his “Summer at Kilspindie," which was purchased byhis fellow members as a token of affection and esteem, and presented to the Scottish Modern Arts Association in 1913. Painters as a rule are not bookish in their tastes, but M‘Kay from his earliest days was a reader, and had a wide acquaintance with literature in French and English, mainly but not exclusively dealing with the Fine Arts. 

It wat appropriate, therefore, that the Academy placed him in charge of the Library in 1896. Eleven years later, on the resignation of Mr. George Hay, he was appointed Secretary. He gloried in the work of his oflice. Diligent in all routine duties, scrupulous in details, he yet maintained a high ideal of the dignity of the Academy, took pride in its history, and never despaired of its future.

In later years M‘Kay devoted the major part of his time and energy to the body and its affairs, displaying a constant energy and enthusiasm which were an incentive to every member. No trouble was too great, no inquiry too vague for his amazing memory, patience, intelligence and tact. Anything relating to Art, especially pictorial Art, and above all Scottish, was an incentive to taking pains.

Who can ever forget the eager glance, the bird-like swoop, the raised finger, when any matter that aroused his interest was mooted. His loyalty to the Academy bore goodfruit when, in the trying time which preceded Sir James Guthrie’s election to the Presidentship, M‘Kay’s advocacy of the claims of the Academy was largely responsible for the former undertaking the arduous duties of the Chair. 

Nothing ever pleased his friends more than the graceful act of Edinburgh University in July 1919, when it conferred on Mr. M‘Kay the degree of LL.D. He was cratified himself, and was characteristically amused and proud when his maid-servant remarked to him “ They are calling you doctor.”

The honour was well deserved for many reasons, his Scottish School of Painting, published in 1906, followed by the Historical Account in Mr. Frank Rinder’s Royal Scottish Academy, 1826-1916, were two

substantial andoriginal contributions to the literature of the Fine Arts north of the Tweed.

Dr. M‘Kay’s clearly expressed and well balanced opinion in these volumes is in marked contrast to the bulk of what passes for Art criticism to-day. A keen and intelligent interest in the art of music was a feature of his later years especially, a crowning indication of Dr. M‘Kay’s devotion to the body he served so well was evidenced in his generous bequest (subject to a liferent) of two-thirds of his whole estate to the Royal Scottish Academy.

Vice-President for many years of the Scottish Artists’ Benevolent Association, his interest in its work was shown in perpetuity by the bequest to its funds of a third of his estate. What has been already said may help to give the impression this remarkable man made on more than two generations of artists in Scotland, but no words can suggest even the entire loveableness and efficiency of dear M‘Kay.

He was one of Nature’s gentlemen, courteous in a fine old-fashioned way, kind of heart, clear of brain, clean in word and deed. His attachment to the church of his fathers was sincere, but never obtruded. Loyal in all things to the end, a life has closed which it was a privilege to encounter, all who knew himare the better of even his passing acquaintance. We shall never look upon his like again.

RSA Obituary, transcribed from the 1924 RSA Annual Report