NASMYTH. 91 



preaching its height ; and the two became from that time inseparable 

 friends.* Mr. Mylne was also an intimate friend of Dr. Johnson, 

 their acquaintance having originated out of a controversy as to the 

 form of the arch for Blackfriars Bridge. 



Mylne was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, by the side of his 

 illustrious predecessor, Sir Christopher Wren. Gateshead Observer, 

 October 20, 1860. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 



ALEXANDER NASMYTH. 



Born September 7, 1758. Died April 10, 1840. 



Alexander Nasmyth, the distinguished Scotch landscape painter, 

 and known also as a man of science, was born at Edinburgh. He 

 came early in life to London, where he was for some time the pupil 

 of Allen Ramsay, painter to George III. He resided afterwards in 

 Rome for several years, during which time he studied portrait, 

 history, and landscape painting. 



From Rome, Nasmyth returned to Edinburgh, where he settled as 

 a portrait painter, and executed his well-known painting of Robert 

 Burns the most authentic likeness of this great poet. Having, 

 however, a decided taste for landscape painting, he ultimately con- 

 fined himself to this branch of art ; but much of his time was occu- 

 pied in teaching, in which he was very successful. His landscapes, 

 which are very numerous, were, many of them, reminiscences of 

 Italian scenery, and although wanting in originality and vigour, 

 possess so much beauty and grace as to have caused their author to 

 acquire the name of the ' Scottish Claude.' 



Mr. Nasmyth was a favourite in society, and was the leading 

 teacher in art of the highest classes in Scotland ; during his later 

 years being commonly looked up to as the patriarch of Scottish art. 

 He not only took much interest in the proceedings of the artistic 

 societies of Edinburgh, but often raised an influential voice in respect 

 to the alterations making in that city ; and was one of the three 

 successful competitors between whom the first prize offered for the 

 best plan for laying out and building the New Town of Edinburgh 

 was equally divided. 



Mr. Nasmyth spent much of his time in scientific experiments, 

 and was 'the inventor of ' bow and string bridges,' and of a method 

 of driving the screw-propellers of vessels by direct action, in front 

 of the rudder. Much of his leisure time was spent in a workshop 



* Mechanics 1 Magazine,, September 20, 1861. 



