James Archer (1823-1904) was a Scottish painter of portraits, genre works, landscapes & historical scenes. Archer was born in Edinburgh, the son of Andrew Archer & Ann Cunningham, & attended the Royal High School. He studied at the Trustee's Academy in Edinburgh; & in 1840, he was accepted as a student at the Royal Scottish Academy & 1st exhibited there in 1842. He became an associate of the academy in 1850, & in 1858, an Academician (RSA). Archer worked in oils, pencil & chalk, & at the beginning of his career specialized in portraiture. In 1864, he moved to London & in the 1880s, Archer traveled to the USA & to India, where he painted portraits, landscapes, & people in costume. Archer died in 1904 in Haslemere in Surrey, survived by his son & 3 daughters from his marriage to Jane Clerk.
