Robert Sivell (1888–1958) was a Scottish portrait artist active in the first half of the 20th century. He was a founder member of the Glasgow Society of Artists and Sculptors in 1919.

Biography

Sivell was born in

Paisley, Renfrewshire Paisley ( ; ; ) is a large town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located north of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River ...

, but lived in

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee, Galloway, River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire. His ...

, Galloway for long periods of his adult life. While beginning evening studies at the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...

with Fra Newbery in 1908, Sivell was still working as an apprentice engineer and he had to abandon the art course in 1910. He lacked the means to attend school full time. In 1912 he travelled to Canada and also visited Paris and Florence, but he returned to Scotland in 1914 as the country readied for war, using his engineering skills to fit out trawlers and drifters for mine-sweeping and other operations. He also worked on the Boom Defence of

Cromarty Cromarty (; , ) is a town, civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and former royal burgh in Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland (council area), Highland area of Scotland. Situated at the tip of the Black Isle on the southern shore of the mout ...

. In 1916 he joined the Merchant Navy. When he left it, Sivell moved to Glasgow, where he could paint evenings and weekends, sharing a studio with Archibald McGlashon. Sivell met Isobel Sayers from Kirkcudbright while she was visiting Glasgow; they married in 1923. They rented a bungalow on the River Dee across from Kirkcudbright. They had one child, a daughter, Elspeth Dolores. The couple moved to Kirkcudbright at some point after 1924, building a house and studio at The Hollow, Stell. Together with James Cowie and Archibald McGlashan, Sivell was a founder member of the Glasgow Society of Artists and Sculptors in 1919. Their exhibitions took place at the McLellan Galleries and attracted some controversy over the exclusion of work by non-members. Sivell travelled at some point in those years to Italy, which had a strong influence on his work. In the 1930s Sivell moved to

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

to teach at Grays School of Art, serving as Head of Drawing and Painting from 1942 to 1954. His pupils included Joe Edwards, Taylor Bremner, Gordon Stewart Cammeron, and

Alberto Morrocco Alberto Morrocco (14 December 1917 – 10 March 1998) was a Scottish artist and teacher. He is famous for his works featuring landscapes of Scotland and abroad, still-life, figure painting and interiors, but perhaps his best known works are hi ...

, who built up a large collection of Sivell's work. In 1936 he was elected an Associate of 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 ...

(ARSA) and in 1943 a full member (RSA). While at Gray's, he undertook a large-scale painting project consisting of larger-than-life murals in a lecture and exhibition hall within the Aberdeen University Union on Gallowgate. This project involved two of his pupils (Alberto Morrocco and Gordon S Cameron) in an effort that began in 1938 and continued until his retirement in 1953, being interrupted by World War II. During the war Sivell completed a number of short-term commissions for the

War Artists Advisory Committee The War Artists' Advisory Committee (WAAC), was a British government agency established within the Ministry of Information at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and headed by Sir Kenneth Clark. Its aim was to compile a comprehensive artis ...

. Among these was one of a Scottish policeman and two of women who had both been awarded the

George Medal The George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI,''British Gallantry Medals'' (Abbott and Tamplin), p. 138 is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically ...

. During his years of teaching, Sivell continued to paint commissioned portraits and subjects of his own choosing, and to exhibit in galleries and exhibitions. Sivell retired in 1954 and returned to Kirkcudbright, where he died in 1958. He and his wife, Isobel (died 1962), were buried on the slope behind his home and studio, The Hollow, Stell, according to their wishes.

Memorials

The Aberdeen Students' Union, where his murals stand, was named Sivell's Bar in his memory. After Aberdeen University sold the building, the murals were given historic status and protection by the city, but they have been inaccessible to the public for many years, with the building and murals listed "at risk" in the Buildings At Risk Register for Scotland. Sivell was sculpted by his friend

Benno Schotz Benno Schotz (28 August 1891 – 11 October 1984) was an Estonian-born Scottish sculptor, and one of Scotland's leading artists during the twentieth century. Biography Early life Schotz was the youngest of six children of Jewish parents, Ja ...

, and while photos of this bust exist, its current location and condition are unknown. In 1960 the Arts Council Scottish Committee held a memorial exhibition of his work in Edinburgh.

Public works

At least 120 paintings by Sivell are held in Aberdeen art Museum, a large number having been donated by

. Many of his portraits are executed in oil on wood and have a dark and foreboding tone. *Wall murals, Aberdeen University Student Union, Gallowgate (1938–40) *Studies for mural including The Grape Harvest, Pastoral, Medical and The Creation,

Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1884 in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with a sculpture court added in 1905. In 1900, it received the art ...

*Elspeth (his daughter), Aberdeen Art Gallery *Dawn, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Noon, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Bathers, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Portrait of Francis Garden, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Portrait of a Soldier (Pt Alistair Paterson), Aberdeen Art Gallery *Mrs

Marion Patterson Marion Patterson GM (nee Chalmers; 1911–1993) was a Scottish fire warden during World War II. She was awarded the George Medal for helping to save sailors trapped in the rubble of a bombed building. Her medal was presented by King George VI ...

, recipient of the

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

, London *Woman in a Shawl, Glasgow Museums *Dehydration of Herrings, Glasgow Museums *Sisters, National Museum of Northern Ireland *Eve,

City of Edinburgh Council The City of Edinburgh Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann'') is the local government authority covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Almost half of the council area is the built-up area of Edinburgh, capital of Sco ...

*Captain Benjamin Bryant, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Spring, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Family Group, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Senorita, Perth & Kinross Council *The Cello Player, Aberdeen Art Gallery *Coats Memorial Church, Paisley Art Gallery *The Twins of Craigie Hall, Paisley Art Gallery *

Phyllis Bone Phyllis Mary Bone RSA (15 February 1894 – 12 July 1972) was a 20th-century Scottish sculptor. She was the first female Academician of the Royal Scottish Academy. Although primarily the creator of small figurines, her works include several ...

, Gracefield Collection, Kirkcudbright *Study of Sir George Pirie *The Provost,

Kirkcudbright Tolbooth Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Kirkcudbrightshire in the administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, ...

Art Centre *The Drawing Book, McLean Museum and Art Gallery *Lamont in Lamplight (unfinished) (1958)

References

External links

*
War Art in Canada: A Critical History
', by Laura Brandon published by the

Art Canada Institute Art Canada Institute is a bilingual, non-profit research organization that aims to promote and support the study of Canadian art history. It has been described as “a comprehensive, multi-tiered, online-based resource for the general public on Can ...

. *
Artist's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sivell, Robert 1888 births 1958 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters Academics of Robert Gordon University British Merchant Service personnel of World War I People from Kirkcudbright Royal Scottish Academicians Scottish male painters World War II artists 20th-century British war artists 20th-century Scottish male artists Guthrie Award winners Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art Academics of Gray's School of Art