Robert Greenlees Explained

Robert Greenlees
Education:Glasgow School of Art
Occupation:Artist, educationalist
Office:Headteacher of the Glasgow School of Art
Predecessor:Charles Heath Wilson
Successor:Thomas Simmonds
Nationality:Scottish

Robert Greenlees (1820– 6 September 1894) was a Scottish artist and educationalist. He was employed at the Glasgow School of Art as a pupil teacher, both teaching and studying. Greenlees taught drawing in the elementary classes, and became the Second Master. In 1863 the headmaster of the school, Charles Heath Wilson, retired and Greenlees was appointed his successor.[1] He was the headmaster until 1881.[2]

Initially Greenlees worked in stained glass. He later moved to landscape painting in oils and watercolours.[2]

Greenlees advocated for the attendance of women pupils at life classes, and appointed four female teachers at the school. His daughter Georgina was one of the teachers. Greenlees also introduced the teaching of nautical draughtsmanship – a number of designers at the Clyde shipyards were graduates of the school. One of his pupils was the landscape artist Alexander Brownlie Docharty while another was the noted landscape artist Archibald Kay.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Allison. Arthur. The Glasgow Story. theglasgowstory. University of Glasgow. 16 August 2014.
  2. Web site: Leitch. Neil. Gateway to Archives of Scottish Higher Education. GASHE. University of Glasgow. 16 August 2014.