A wonderful historical painting of a trumpeter signalling the arrival of a Royal Ship by Arthur David Mccormick. The Herald, dressed in yellow livery plays a fanfare as the others prepare for the arrival of the Royal boat.

Arthur David Mccormick was a painter of historical, naval, and genre scenes who was born in Coleraine, Ulster in Northern Ireland on 14 October, 1860. After attending his local school, he studied at the Government School of Design in Belfast. He then moved to London where he enrolled at the Royal College of Art in 1883. To support his studies he also contributed drawings and designs to the English Illustrated Magazine and Illustrated London News.

McCormick made his debut at the Royal Academy in 1889 continuing to exhibit there throughout his life. He exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists from 1890, becoming a member in 1897 and at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour and the Alpine Club Gallery. As well as being a yachtsman he also took an interest in mountaineering and on 5 February 1892 joined Sir Martin Conway's expedition to the Karakoram Himalayas as their artist. He produced more than 300 illustrations, mainly watercolour paintings which appeared in Conway's 1894 book ‘Climbing and exploration in the Karakoram Himalayas’. He later published his own book ‘An artist in the Himalayas’ using his pencil sketches from the expedition.

He married Helen MacAlpine-Woods at Strean Church, Newtonwards, Ireland on 25 September, 1894. The couple lived at 58 Queens Road, St John’s Wood where their only daughter Helen Gladys was born in 1895. During the same year, he travelled with Clinton T. Dent’s on his expedition to the Caucasus Mountains, producing a number of sketches and drawings. He was also made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1895 in recognition of his work.

After the death of his wife in 1899, he remained at Queens Road from where he continued to work and exhibit, employing a governess to help with his daughter. When the Ulster Arts Club was formed in 1902 he was among its first honorary members. In 1905, he was made a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and in 1906 became a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. On 7 May, 1906 he married Helen (Nellie) Elizabeth K Laker, his daughter’s governess. In addition to painting he also produced illustrations for many books mostly related to travel and adventure. He was employed by John Player & Son in 1927 to paint the sailor's head and shoulders for their cigarette packets as well as producing a number of oil paintings which were used as promotional posters.

Around 1934 he moved to 53 Colet Gardens, Hammersmith, where he spent the rest of his life. He died in London, aged 83, on 12 March, 1943. Examples of his work can be found at the Alpine Club Collection, Coleraine Museum, Grundy Art Gallery, Imperial War Museum, National Museum of Wales, National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth, Newport Museum, The Box Plymouth and Williamson Art Gallery.

© Benton Fine Art