Edward Pinnington (1846–1921) was a Scottish

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

, biographer and journalist. He is mainly known for his authoritative biographies of Scottish artists but he also wrote several articles on

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

and his family.

Life

According to census records, Edward Pinnington was born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire in 1846, though no birth records are available to confirm this. His father was John Hardman Pinnington, an Excise Officer, and his mother, Ann Fishwick. The family seems to originate from

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England and they lived in various parts of Scotland, namely, the 1841 census: Rose Street,

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

; and the 1851 census: Logie in

Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; ; ), or the County of Clackmannan, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, Council areas of Scotland, council area, registration counties, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland ...

. The family eventually settled in the Rowans, Cupar Road,

Auchtermuchty Auchtermuchty ( ; , 'upland of the pigs/boar') is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is beside Pitlour Hill and north of Glenrothes. History Until 1975 Auchtermuchty was a royal burgh, established under charter of James V of Scotland, King Jame ...

. Pinnington married Margaret Forbes (1861–1936) on 21 October 1885 in Edinburgh. They subsequently had three sons John Noel (1886–1917), Edward Forbes (1888–1939) and Donald Stanley (1891–1976) who was awarded an OBE and Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea during the Battle of the Atlantic. Edward Pinnington died in Thornton, Fife on 22 June 1921, aged 75.

Career

According to his obituary, Pinnington began his working life as a journalist in the United States and was for a number of years the editor of ''Scotch American''. However, there is as yet no corroborating record of this part of his life, though his style of writing suggests a training in journalism. In 1881, he was living in Edinburgh and by 1891 he had settled in Montrose, living with his spinster sister, Mary Ann, while his wife and family lived with her parents in Glasgow. It seems that his interest in art history began when he researched and published the life and work of the Montrose artist,

George Paul Chalmers George Paul Chalmers (1833 – 20 February 1878) was a Scotland, Scottish landscape, Marine biology, marine, Interior portrait, interior and portrait Painting, painter. Life Chalmers was born at Montrose, Angus, Montrose, the son of a captain ...

. Only a hundred copies of this massive tome were printed in 1896, and it is likely that Pinnington was commissioned to write and edit it. Between 1896 and 1912, he produced a formidable stream of books and articles and was an art critic for several Scottish newspapers. It appears that around 1912, the family moved to

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. At any rate, his wife and two elder sons are recorded as incoming passengers from

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

arriving at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. Pinnington himself presumably returned separately. According to his obituary, the family settled in

at the family home, around 1914. Pinnington seems to have published nothing thereafter, though extracts from his unpublished biography of

Sam Bough Samuel Bough (8 January 1822 – 19 November 1878) was an English-born landscape painter who spent much of his career working in Scotland.''Nuttall Encyclopedia'' (1907) "Samuel Bough". Retrieved 8 June 2011. Life He was born the third of ...

were published in ''The Carlisle Journal'' in 1922, after his death (for details see below).

Unpublished letters

Twenty one letters and a postcard written by Pinnington to George B. Simpson (1820–1892) have survived. They are held in the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary art, contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy ...

's George B. Simpson Collection. These cover the period from 9 March 1891 to 29 September 1891. They mainly concern Pinnington's research into

though there is also mention of Pinnington's articles on

Publications

Art books

* ''The Art Collection of the Corporation of Glasgow''. Glasgow: T. & R. Annan & Sons, 1898 * ''

, R.S.A., and the Art of his Time''. Glasgow: T. R. Annan & Sons: Glasgow, 1896. * '' Sir David Wilkie and the Scots School of Painters,'' Edinburgh:

Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier was a Scottish publishing company based in the national capital Edinburgh. It produced many hundreds of books mainly on religious and biographical themes, especially during its heyday from about 1880 to 1910. It is ...

, 1900, ( "Famous Scots Series") * ''

Sir Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a for ...

R.A'' . London : Walter Scott Publishing Co Ltd, 1904
''Montrose Public Library''
by Edward Pinnington. * ''A Catalogue of Thirty-Two Paintings by

William McTaggart William McTaggart (25 October 1835 – 2 April 1910) was a Scottish landscape and marine painter who was influenced by Impressionism. Life and work The son of a crofter, William McTaggart was born in the small village of Aros, near Cam ...

, R.S.A.'' with a preface by Edward Pinnington. Edinburgh: Scottish Gallery, 1901. * Projected but unpublished: ''Life of

RSA.'' (Apart from the extracts published in The Carlisle Journal in 1922.)

Published articles

In the ''Burns Chronicle and Club Directory'', published by the Burns Federation, Kilmarnock: * 'Burns Ode for Washington's Birthday.' No. IX, Jan. 1900, pp. 51–65. * 'The Two Jeans.' No. XIV, Jan. 1905, pp. 96–102. * 'In the Nursery of the Burneses.' No. XVII, Jan. 1908, pp. 16–23. * 'Honest Allan.' (Part I), No. XIX. Jan. 1910, pp. 78–89. * 'Honest Allan.' (Part II), No. XX. Jan. 1911, pp. 62–76. * 'The Politics of Burns.' No. XXI, Jan. 1912, pp. 75–95. In the ''Good Words'', ed. by Donald Macleod, published in London by Isbister & Co. Ltd: * '

, R.S.A. 1897, pp. 597–604. * '

Jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...

'. 1898, pp. 166–173. * 'A

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Art Collection' (first paper). 1898, pp. 247–252. * 'A

Art Collection' (second paper). 1898, pp. 324–329. * 'A Study of Old

'. 1898, pp. 744–751. *
Finlaystone
. 1898, pp. 823–829. * '

, R.S.A.' 1899, pp. 750–756. * 'The

National Gallery of Scotland The National (formerly the Scottish National Gallery) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by William Henry Playfa ...

' (first paper). 1901, pp. 445–452. * 'The

' (second paper). 1901, pp. 532–540. * 'A Night on a Scots Salmon River'. 1901, pp. 669–674. he river North Esk near Montrose">river_North_Esk.html" ;"title="he river North Esk">he river North Esk near MontroseIn The Art Journal, New Series, published in London by H. Virtue & Co. Ltd: * '

, R.S.A.' 1897, pp. 83–88. * 'Statues of

'. 1897, pp. 238–242. * '

Robert Brough Robert John Cameron Brough ARSA (20 March 1872 – 21 January 1905) was a Scottish painter born near Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty. Life He was born on 20 March 1872. at Garty Cottage, Kilmuir Easter, near Invergordon. His mother was Helen ...

, Painter.' 1898, pp. 146–149. * '

Robert Scott Lauder Robert Scott Lauder (25 June 1803 – 21 April 1869) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a "historical painter". He was one of the original members of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Lauder was born at Silvermills, Ed ...

, R.S.A. and his Pupils.' 1898, pp. 339–343 & pp. 367–371. * 'A Scot's Memorial

Reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

.' 1901, pp. 282–284. ound in a Montrose church.* 'Hugh Cameron, R.S.A.' 1902, pp. 17–20 & pp. 297–300. orn in Edinburgh in 1835.* ' Sir Noel Paton, R.S.A.' 1902, pp. 70–72. * ' Alexander Fraser, R.S.A.' 1904, pp. 375–379. * ' Tom Scott, R.S.A.' 1907, pp. 17–21. * ' Mr. George Pirie.' 1907, pp. 364–366. In ''The Carlisle Journal'', 1922 * 21 extracts from his unpublished biography of

were published from 20 January 1922 to 16 June 1922. The biography was to have been published by T & R Annan & Sons, Glasgow.Information supplied by Dr. Helen Smailes of the

. Copies of ''The Carlisle Journal'' are available on microfilm a
Carlisle Public Library

Sources

* Births and deaths information available at the General Register Office for Scotland, Scotlands People Centre in Edinburgh, and also at http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk. * Census information available at www.ancestry.com. * 'The Late Mr. Edward Pinnington.' Unattributed obituary in ''The Montrose Standard''. Information supplied by the staff of Montrose Public Library. There is also a short obituary in ''The Glasgow Herald'', Friday, 24 June 1921, p. 9, but it is only a paraphrase of parts of the Montrose Standard obituary. * Access to bound volumes of the ''Burns Chronicle and Club Directory'', ''Good Words'' and ''The Art Journal'', courtesy of the

Mitchell Library The Mitchell Library is a large public library located in the Charing Cross area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the largest public reference library in Europe, and the centre of Glasgow's public library system. History The library was initiall ...

, Glasgow.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinnington, Edward 1846 births 1921 deaths People from Blairgowrie and Rattray Scottish journalists Scottish art historians Scottish biographers