James Nairn

James McLachlan Nairn (1859-1904) was a professional artist with a considerable reputation in his native Scotland before migrating to New Zealand for health reasons in 1890. After a short period in the South Island he settled in Wellington, teaching at the Wellington School of Design. Criticised for instituting classes in drawing from the nude, and for his "impressionistic" work, he withdrew from the NZ Academy of Arts for a time and founded the Wellington Art Club. From 1894 his home, "Pumpkin Cottage" at Silverstream, James Nairn formed a focal point for a large number of local artists. Nairn is represented in the Hocken Library, Dunedin, and most major New Zealand galleries.