Item NMC/0096L - Lady Macduff (from Macbeth)

Open original Digitised item

License:

Creative Commons - click here to find out moreThis image is provided under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA License. You can download this version for private study or non-commercial use. Our terms, conditions and copyright policy (PDF) contains further information about acceptable usage. If you are seeking permission to publish, please contact us ›

Please click here if you would like to request a larger, high-resolution version ›

Key Information

Reference code

NMC/0096L

Title

Lady Macduff (from Macbeth)

Date(s)

  • c1900 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent

12 of 27

Content and Structure

Scope and content

Costume design for Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

General Information

Name of creator

(1880-1933)

Biographical history

Born in Glasgow of Irish and French parentage. From 1885-1893 she attended Colonel Clark’s School, Manchester & The Manchester High School for Girls. From 1893-1897 she studied at The Manchester School of Art, under Walter Crane. From 1898-1904 she was at GSA as a student and also teaching ( from 1898-1903). She was awarded the Diploma in 1902. Classes included Stained Glass, Enamels, Illustration, Sgraffito, Gesso and metal work. From Mar-July 1903 she travelled in Paris, Italy and Switzerland visiting Studios, etc. Between 1904-1914 she worked as a theatre and costume designer in Glasgow, London and Europe. Companies included Louis Verande, Paris Opera, Granville Barker and the Quinlan Opera Company.
Between 1915-1933 she returned to teach full-time at GSA concentrating on Costume, Lithography and Book Illustration. In 1927 became Head of the Pictorial Section of the School of Design and specialised in teaching Illustration. In 1933 was offered and accepted the post of Director of the Glasgow School of Art, but died (16 Feb 1933), aged 52, of a brain haemorrhage before the appointment was made public and W.O. Hutchison took up the position. Dorothy had a sister, Olive Carleton Smyth, who was also a successful professional artist and a fellow teacher at the School. She took over as Head of Design when Dorothy died.
Dorothy worked as a professional artist while teaching. Her early work included the production of local plays in Glasgow, sometimes working with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and others of the Glasgow School on decoration. From the 1920s she undertook book illustrations for Chiver’s, Blackie and Collins. She worked in silverwork, sculpture (including modelling friezes and panels for the Allan Liners “Victoria” and “Virginia”). She was known as a successful portrait painter and broadcast extensively on art subjects, including art lessons for children on the BBC (as Paint Pot Pixie). Smyth also ran the Drama Club at the School between 1924 and 1933.

Archival history

Exhibited: Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art; 1971.

Custodial history

Presented to the Glasgow School of Art by the artist's sister, Rose Carleton Smyth, in 1949.

Physical Description and Conditions of Use

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical Description

Watercolour on grey card

Dimensions: 395 x 260 mm

Finding aids

Related Material

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related materials

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Keywords/Tags

Place access points

People and Organisations

Genre access points

Status

Level of detail

Processing information

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Digitised item (Master) rights area

Digitised item (Reference) rights area

Digitised item (Thumbnail) rights area

Accession area