Sir David Muirhead Bone HRSA HRSW HRWS HRIBA IS NEAC (1876-1953)
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Sir David Muirhead Bone, HRSA HRSW HRWS HRIBA IS NEAC (1876-1953) The Scottish painter and printmaker, Muirhead Bone, specialised in architectural subjects, and loved to depict buildings in states of construction, restoration or demolition. As a result, he made a good choice for the first Official War Artist, and was able to capture a range of environments affected by the uncertain conditions of combat.
The fourth of eight children of a journalist, Muirhead Bone was born at 1a Hamilton Terrace West, Partick, near Glasgow, on 23 March 1876. An early architectural training gave him a deep structural knowledge of what would become the best known subject matter of his paintings and prints. For he soon devoted himslf to fine art, taking evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art under Archibald Kay. He began to exhibit at the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts in 1897 and, three years later, just before his move to London, first showed at the Royal Academy.
He was elected to the New English Art Club in 1902, and also became a member of the International Society and the Society of Twelve. He made a particular mark as a topographical etcher and, accompanied by his wife, Gertrude Dodd, made extensive tours of Britain and Europe in search of suitable motifs. He produced a number of books with etched illustrations for which Gertrude provided the texts. As a complement to the strong contrasts of his prints, his watercolours have a lightness and delicacy. During both the First and Second World Wars, he produced some of his best work as an Official War Artist: on the Western Front and with the fleet (1916- 18); for the Admiralty (1940-43). In the latter part of his career, he acted as a trustee for the National Gallery, Tate Gallery and Imperial War Museum, and received a number of honours: he was knighted (1937) and became an honorary member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1937), the Royal Society of Painters in Water-Colours (1943) and the Royal Scottish Academy (1951). He died at Grayflete, Ferry Hinksey, Oxford, on 21 October 1953. He was the father of the artists, Stephen and Gavin Bone.
His work is represented in numerous public collections, including the Imperial War Museum and Tate; The Hunterian (University of Glasgow); and the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Further reading: David Cohen, ‘Bone, Sir (David) Muirhead (b Partick, nr Glasgow, 23 March 1876; d Oxford, 21 Oct 1953)’, Jane Turner (ed), The Dictionary of Art, London: Macmillan, 1996, vol 4, pages 314-315; Gordon Cooke, ‘Bone, Sir Muirhead (1876-1953)’, H C G Matthew and Brian Harrison (eds), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, vol 6, pages 530-532; Peter Trowles, Muirhead Bone: Portrait of an Artist, University of St Andrews, 1986
