Charles Martin Hardie RSA

1858 – 1916

Charles Martin Hardie was born in East Linton and initially entered his family’s carpentry business. He later studied at the Royal Scottish Academy schools and for many years of his professional career maintained a studio in Picardy Place in Edinburgh.

Hardie is best known for his portraits of Burns and Sir Walter Scott in imagined historical settings and his paintings of Scottish country life. Sir James Caw was not particularly flattering about these parts of Hardie’s work. However away the demands of painting to satisfy his market, Hardie produced some fine watercolours especially on the continent.

He was elected to the RSA in 1895 and died in Edinburgh in 1916 aged only 58.