Postgraduate research students

This thesis offers the first-ever technical examination of the materials and methods of the Scottish artist David Young Cameron (1865-1945) using a holistic methodology of technical examination and contextual research. Six oil paintings by Cameron have been examined using scientific techniques which help in the identification of the pigments and medium used, the working process and the present condition of the works. The thesis discusses whether Cameron was an innovative artist, who inspired him, as well as the potential implications of his material use and painting methodology for future conservation of his works.

Cameron was an associate of the group of avant-garde artists active in and around Glasgow in the late nineteenth century, the Glasgow Boys. Better-known artists of the nineteenth century, such as Whistler, Turner, and the Impressionists, have received significant attention with regard to their working methods and materials. However, the Glasgow Boys, including Cameron have mainly been overlooked. This research with its focus on one artist in relation to the other Glasgow Boys aids in the understanding of these nineteenth-century painters.

My previous research during my Master's focused on the materials and methods used in the making of two stencilled fireplace screens by the nineteenth-century Arts and Crafts artist Talwin Morris.