George Bain (artist)
| George Bain | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1881 |
| Died | 1968 |
| Movement | Celtic Art Revival |
George Bain (1881–1968), born in Scrabster in Caithness, Scotland, was an artist and art teacher who made an important and influential contribution to the revival of interest in Celtic and Insular art which began in the 19th century.
In 1888 Bain left Scrabster with his family. They had intended to emigrate to Canada but, during a stop in Leith, the Bains met with a cousin who persuaded them to settle in Edinburgh instead. After leaving school, Bain joined a firm of printers in Edinburgh while, between the age of 15 and 21, studying art on a part-time basis, attending the School of Applied Art and the Edinburgh School of Art. His first exhibited work as a painter was in 1900 at the Royal Scottish Academy.
In 1902 he obtained a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London. When there, he found that a foundation of Classical Art still controlled the work of the college. In London, he supported himself by working as a freelance newspaper artist and as a book and magazine illustrator. In 1905 he returned to Edinburgh, continuing his career as a commercial artist while studying part-time at the Royal Scottish Academy Life School. In 1911 he decided to return to studying and gained a DA degree from Edinburgh College of Art in 1915.
During World War 1 Bain served with The Royal Engineers and his artistic talents were used both as artist to the 26th Division's theatre and when attached to General Gay's final advance through Bulgaria. Sketches and paintings from this period form part of the George Bain Collection cared for by Groam House Museum.
After the war Bain was appointed Principal Art Teacher at Kirkcaldy High School, where he had started his teaching activities in 1899, and in due course also held the post of Principal Advisory Art Teacher for the Kirkcaldy area. He retired from teaching in 1946 and moved to Drumnadrochit in Glenurquhart, the birthplace of his wife Jesse (married 1908). There he attempted to establish a College of Celtic Cultures at a nearby mansion, Balmacaan House. His vision was to "give the people of the Highlands a unique opportunity to study their own history, to build up afresh the national Celtic art, and to solve some of the agricultural problems peculiar to the hills and glens of the north of Scotland." For a variety of reasons, particularly the difficulty of obtaining financial support, Bain had to give up the idea and in 1952 he and Jesse moved to Codsall in Staffordshire where they shared a large house with their daughter Christy and her husband. Bain had a studio in the house and he continued with lecture tours and worked on artistic commissions. Jesse died in 1957 and Bain himself on 25 March 1968.
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