[Unidentified SCOTTISH/ENGLISH Photographer?] - James ORROCK (Scottish, 1829-1913) Portrait of James

[Unidentified SCOTTISH or ENGLISH Photographer] - James ORROCK (Scottish, 1829-1913).

Half-length portrait of James Orrock, seated. [U.K.: undated but circa 1855-1860]. Lightly aluminised salt-print (visible size: 6 x 4 3/8in; 150 x 112mm), printed from a glass negative, mounted with the clipped signature of Orrock. Old embossed matt, framed and glazed.

Condition: old folds to image, and occasional light surface damage (see images); light damage to frame.

Probably the earliest known photographic image of James Orrock.

"James Orrock R.I., R.O.I. (1829 - 10 May 1913), was a prominent Scottish collector of art and oriental ceramics, illustrator and landscape watercolourist. The scale of his involvement with the art trade and with top collectors such as John Ruskin is highlighted in the large two volume set of books published about him by Byron Webber: published in London, Chatto and Windus 1903: James Orrock R.I., Painter, Connoisseur, Collector. Rather than being a forger as some modern scholars like to believe Orrock was a dedicated enthusiast of contemporary British art and emulated some of those artists in his own work. He illustrated three books in the style of Turner: Mary Queen-of-Scots, 1906; Old England: her story mirrored in her scenes, 1908; and, In the Border country, 1906.

James was the son of James Orrock, an Edinburgh surgeon, dentist and druggist, living at 17 Elm Row at the top of Leith Walk.

The family moved to 2 York Place when he was young.

He was educated in medicine, surgery, and dentistry at Edinburgh University, after which he practised as a dentist in Nottingham. Orrock studied painting under James Ferguson, William L. Leitch, and John Burgess, later enrolling at the Nottingham School of Design where he was taught by Thomas Stuart Smith.

He settled in London by 1866, becoming an associate of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1871, exhibiting at the Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Academy. His later style was highly influenced by David Cox, his paintings today are on show in various museums and galleries, including the Victoria and Albert Museum.

A strong advocate of J. M. W. Turner and British art in general (owning several of J.M.W Turner's most important works), he was also an impassioned collector of Adam-style furniture decorated by Angelica Kauffman. A landscape painter and watercolourist, he is now believed to have restored, altered and improved works by other painters within his collection. Orrock created art-period rooms in his house, which he opened to the general public.

Having on two previous occasions bought furniture and paintings from Orrock's personal collection, on Orrock's death Lord Leverhulme bought most of his art collection, and someone thousand of his own paintings. Part of that collection was used to create the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight." (wikipedia)

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