A characterisation of the materials and methods in oil paintings by Glasgow Boy artist David Young Cameron (1865-1945)

Visser, Tess (2025) A characterisation of the materials and methods in oil paintings by Glasgow Boy artist David Young Cameron (1865-1945). PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research addresses David Young Cameron’s (1865-1945) disputed position as one of the Glasgow Boys through the characterisation of the materials and methods he employed in his oil paintings and through evaluation of the development of his style and subject matter. Cameron is not as well known for his work in oil as he is for his printmaking; being ignored and forgotten in discussions on Scottish painting and the Glasgow Boys. Using a technical art history methodology combining art historical and archival research with detailed technical examination of six oil paintings; and visual examination of a wider range of works from throughout his career - this thesis argues that Cameron should be reinstated as a Glasgow Boy. Paintings not previously studied from the early period of Cameron’s artistic career highlight the similarities between the development of his ideology, style and subject matter with that of the Glasgow Boys during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Technical examination reveals that the shift towards a brighter tonality observed in his paintings after 1900 coincides with a change in his use of pigment: throughout his career Cameron made use of a combination of traditional and modern pigments, but where he mixed black in his paints to create a reduced tonality in his early works, he mixed bright colours or used them unadulterated in his later works. Additionally, a change in paint application can be observed around this time. In earlier works, the paint is applied smoother and with little to no impasto. In contrast, later works show experimentation with surface texture, alternatively applying paint thickly to hide the canvas weave or thinning it and rubbing it in to reveal the canvas weave. The use of preparatory drawing directly onto the preparatory layers in architectural works and underpainting in his landscapes allowed him to create the sharp outlines and clean pictures typical of his paintings. This first technical study of Cameron, one of the Glasgow Boys, opens the discussion on this group and highlights the need for further technical analysis of their materials and methods to gain a deeper understanding of this diverse group.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Supported by funding from the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Netherlands.
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR; N Fine Arts > ND Painting
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art
• Funder's Name: Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
• Supervisor's Name: Young, Professor Christina and Willsdon, Professor Clare
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85029
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 16 Apr 2025 11:11
• Last Modified: 16 Apr 2025 11:14
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85029
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85029