James Wilson Carmichael (1799-1868)
James Wilson Carmichael (also John Wilson Carmichael) was a marine painter. We have sold many of his fine marine paintings and several landscapes listed here: John Wilson Carmichael. Born in Newcastle Carmichael was apprenticed to a shipbuilder in his youth but established his painting workshop at the age of 23, sharing premises with the landscape painter Thomas Miles Richardson (Senior) in Blackett Street, Newcastle. It has been suggested that Richardson may have been his teacher.Carmichael did not remain long in Newcastle but chose to travel throughout Italy. By 1847 he had returned to Britain and set up his studio in London. He was very prolific and a regular exhibitor of marine works at both the Royal Academy (1835-59) and the British Institution (1846-62). James Wilson Carmichael returned to sea to participate officially in the Crimean War in both 1854 and 1855 and much of his work there was published as engravings in the Illustrated London News. He contributed in image and prose to volumes on marine art but gave up painting and retired to Scarborough where he died, after the early death of his son.