James Skin ( eng. James Skene , March 7, 1775, Aberdeen - November 27, 1864) - British lawyer and artist.
| James skin | |
|---|---|
| English James skene | |
| Date of Birth | March 7, 1775 |
| Place of Birth | Aberdeen |
| Date of death | October 27, 1864 (89 years old) |
| Citizenship |  Great Britain |
| Occupation | lawyer and artist |
| Children | and |
Biography
Educated at the Edinburgh School. When his elder brother died in 1791, he became the heir to the estate of Rubislo. At the age of 21 he went to Germany for further studies. In 1797, returning to Edinburgh , was admitted to the Scottish bar , an independent body of lawyers who served as lawyers in the courts of Scotland. He was friends with Sir Walter Scott , who admired Skene's knowledge of German literature. Both served as lawyers for the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh.
James Skin was also an amateur artist. Skin created many oil paintings and watercolors of Edinburgh landscapes. The Edinburgh City Library today stores a collection of 207 Skene paintings, which span the period 1817–1837. The most famous of them are: “Edinburgh Old Town from Princes Street”, “St Giles Cathedral”, “The Grassmarket”, “St John's Chapel”, “Holyroodhouse”.
In 1838, in connection with the health problems of some members of his family, Skene went to Greece, staying for several years not far from Athens, in a villa built according to his own project. Here, like at home, James Skin was engaged in art, creating about 500 watercolors and drawings of Greek antiquities. Returning to his homeland in 1844, he settled first in Limington, and then in Friyen Holly, Oxford.