NASMUTH, ALEXANDER, a popular Scottish artist, was born in Edinburgh in 1758. His first lessons in art were received in London under Allan Ramsay, and he completed his studies in historical, landscape, and portrait painting during a residence of several years at Rome. Then returning to his native country, he settled down in Edinburgh as a portrait-painter. Among other likenesses, he executed the well-known portrait of Robert Burns. In course of time, however, his strong taste for sketching landscapes led him to concentrate his attention exclusively on this kind of painting. The pictures he began to produce were not characterized by vigorous pencilling or life-like colouring; yet their tasteful simplicity and careful finish rendered them popular among his countrymen. At the same time, he was rising into notice as a teacher of his art. His services in this vocation continued to be more and more appreciated, until he had acquired, in his later years, both ample practice and large emoluments. He died at Edinburgh in 1840. His eldest son and his five daughters inherited their father's artistic skill.