James Alfred Aitken, Landscape Painter
(b. 1846, d. 1897)
Landscape Painter
From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913
Was born in Edinburgh on 5th November, 1846. From his childhood he showed a talent for art and he became a pupil of Horatio MacCulloch, R.S.A., whose work exercised an influence upon him as a painter. His family removing to Dublin he entered as a student in the Royal Dublin Society's school under Henry MacManus (q.v.) and in 1865 commenced to exhibit at the Royal Hibernian Academy. He was elected an Associate on 1st March, 1871; but in 1872 he left Dublin and took up his residence in Glasgow, having married in September of that year Anne, second daughter of Alexander Miller, a Glasgow merchant. He was a regular exhibitor at the Glasgow Institute and at the Royal Scottish Academy, and was one of the founders of the Glasgow "Pen and Pencil Club." He attained considerable success as a landscape painter in oil and was also successful in water-colour, and was a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water-colour. He died at 116 Mains Street, Glasgow, on 21st December, 1897. A small landscape by him is in the National Gallery of Ireland.