Norman Macbeth (1821–1888): Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Victorian Portraiture Norman Macbeth (1821 in Greenock – 27 February 1888 in London) was a Scottish portraitist whose meticulous realism combined with an embrace of stylistic experimentation established him as a prominent figure within the Glasgow School and contributed significantly to the broader artistic landscape of Victorian Britain. Born into a family steeped in artistic heritage—his father, James Macbeth, was an excise official, and his paternal grandfather, Norman Macbeth, a celebrated portrait painter—Macbeth’s formati…