There are many examples of artists who didn't achieve major success in their own lifetime, but were greatly appreciated in later years. Vincent Van Gogh is one who springs to mind. The reverse can also be true. Sir Joseph Noel Paton (1821-1901) was one of the foremost Scottish painters in Victorian times. He was also a well-known sculptor and antiquary. In 1865 he was appointed Queen's Limner for Scotland - a member of the Royal Household. A knighthood followed two years later. Born and bred in Dunfermline, Paton's name has faded from view over the decades. A major exhibition in his hometown - organised with the full cooperation of his descendants - should raise awareness of a great Scottish talent.
Away from the easel, Paton was a quiet family man and there are few colourful tales regarding his social life, although he was certainly well connected, counting major figures such as Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, Andrew Carnegie and the polymath John Ruskin among his personal friends. Born in Wooers Alley into a creative family, young Noel (as he preferred to be called) drew obsessively as a child and later attended Dunfermline Art Academy. He also studied at the Royal Academy in London, where made important artistic contacts that would last a lifetime. Back in Scotland, his career took off, exhibiting at the Royal Scottish Academy and providing drawings for high-end publications such as Shakespeare's The Tempest. In 1847, Paton won prizes for his detailed and daring fairy paintings and by 1850 he had been elected as a full member of the RSA. He also submitted designs for major monuments to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. We attended the exhibition at Carnegie Museum on a Saturday morning, having filled up beforehand with a Full Scottish at Wetherspoons, which was quite a plateful. For an extra £1.56, you can make unlimited trips to the coffee machine. 'Spoons supremo Tim Martin isn't universally liked, but his establishments provide food and drink at affordable prices and range of real ales are always available. The gallery was fairly quiet and we had ample time and space to absorb everything. The painting above (from 1867) is the work of John Ballantyne. It shows Paton relaxing in his studio at George Square, Edinburgh. Surrounded by books and newspapers, the artwork conveys the sense of a scholarly mind. A fairy painting is in progress on the easel. Maquettes of monument designs stand in the background. Paton married Margaret (Maggie) Ferrier in 1858. They moved to Edinburgh and had 11 children in total. Defying the stereotype of the aloof Victorian father, Paton took a keen interest in his offspring and family life featured heavily in his artistic output. Sustaining their lifestyle often meant painting to order, or making smaller copies of acclaimed work. Paton found neither activity pleasurable but it kept the show on the road. He often worked on several projects simultaneously and in later life he came fifth in a list of the greatest living Scotsmen, published by the Scotsman newspaper. "How funny" - he is said to have remarked. A greater source of pride was being awarded the freedom of his native Dunfermline in 1882.
Victorian society had a fascination for the supernatural. Fairies, goblins and changelings filled the imagination of poets, writers and painters. The idea of a world not bound my human rules and morals appealed greatly. It may also have been a reaction to the effect of expanding heavy industry blighting the countryside. Largely unique to the British Isles, fairy paintings could be used as an allegory to represent a political or religious view. Folklore was also present in the concept of national identities. The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania 1849, pictured above) depicts a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The painting won an award when first shown at the Royal Scottish Academy and it was later taken overseas for the grand Paris Exhibition in 1855. Numerous tales are woven into the artwork, all taking place against a backdrop of quirky flora and fauna. The erotic nature of the painting probably had be to presented within a fantasy landscape in order to gain acceptance in a society that was notably straight-laced, at least on the surface. Paton was fascinated by the struggle between good and evil. He explored these themes in many pieces. He was also a keen student of Scottish history, his great grandfather having fought in the 1715 Jacobite Rising, and his great uncles at Culloden thirty years down the line. He illustrated a book about Mary, Queen of Scots and upon meeting the present monarch Victoria for the first time, his young son Diarmid is said to have turned away, exclaiming "you are the wicked person who killed our beautiful Queen Mary" - prompting Victoria to explain that, no, she wasn't actually Queen Elizabeth the First of England. Paton was president of the Dunfermline Celtic Society and two of his biggest disappointments were not being chosen to design the memorials for William Wallace in Stirling and the Wars of Independence at Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. His application to design a Prince Albert monument for the Scottish capital was successful, but lack of funding led to the scheme being scrapped.
As Queen's Limner, Paton was invited by Victoria to paint a royal portrait of the sovereign and here nine children, grouped around a marble bust of the late consort. Paton enjoyed a warm relationship with the Queen but he was unable to finish the painting due to a sudden bout of influenza. He did however complete three other commissions by the Palace. Another notable project was the design of three stained glass windows for Dunfermline Abbey. The art form had fallen out of favour following the Reformation but came back into vogue during Victorian times and there was renewed interest in medieval religious art all across Europe. The individual pieces of glass were arranged on a drawn template called a cartoon, then assembled using lead strips and solder. Three preliminary sketches for the abbey's Great West Window (loaned by the Paton family) were on display at the exhibition. Commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, the finished work - also known as the Patriot's Window - can be found in an older part of the church. Costing £2000 in total - a significant sum in those days - Carnegie wanted the design to highlight the connection between Dunfermline and certain major figures in Scottish history. Both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce are featured, along with St Margaret and Malcolm Canmore. Also on display were cartoons for another window in the abbey. This one depicted the Last Supper and three of the sketches are pictured above. The piece was installed in 1904, three years after Paton's death. His beloved Maggie had passed away 12 months before. Brother Waller Hugh Paton was also an accomplished painter and I have long admired his impression of Preston Island, near Culross. The exhibition certainly benefitted from having direct input from the Paton family and there was a video interview with Noel's great great granddaughter. One of Dunfermline's most famous sons is rightfully being re-examined.
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