The room that time forgot: Artist John Campbell Mitchell's studio works up for auction

WHEN painter John Campbell Mitchell died in 1922, a "large company of artist friends" gathered to follow the hearse from his Corstophine home, The Scotsman recorded.

• John Campbell Mitchell's studio in Corstorphine stood virtually untouched for 80 years, his paintings, easel and piano just where they were when he died in 1922

The director of the Scottish National Gallery, James Caw, joined a throng paying respect to an artist who exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy over several decades.

But for 80 years afterwards, the studio of the long-neglected artist stood virtually untouched, unseen by the world until now.

The walls were covered in his trademark sea and landscapes, cupboards stacked with pictures and sketches, his easel and beloved pianos left in place.

More than 100 of Mitchell's studio works, along with works he collected from his fellow artists, are going under the hammer in Edinburgh this month. They range from oil paintings at estimated prices between 1,000 to 2,000 to bundles of sketches.

Born in Argyll, Mitchell settled in Edinburgh after studying in Paris, moving to Clermiston Road in 1904. He is remembered for delivering appealing, impressionistic works. But while he is a recognised Scottish painter, whose works appear from time to time at auctions, his name remains obscure, and paintings sell for a tiny fraction of those by Scottish Colourists or the Glasgow Boys, who were among his contemporaries.

"I find his work attractive, but for some reason he's never been rated particularly highly," said The Scotsman's art critic Duncan Macmillan, a leading authority on the history of Scottish art.

• John Campbell Mitchell had a reputation of being repetitive

"He was not a Colourist, but you could see him alongside them; they are not that dissimilar, with a bright palette and very free painting. I think he got the reputation of being repetitive."

Mitchell's works go on sale in Bonham's 19th and 20th Century Pictures and Prints sale in Edinburgh on 14 October. They are expected to make up to 30,000.

Two generations of the family remained in his home in Clermiston Road in Corstophine, including Mitchell's son Colin, and the studio was left largely untouched. After a last descendant died - the auctioneer declined to identify the relative yesterday - the works were discovered in a house clearance.

"It was a large, airy, purpose-built studio with a couple of pianos; he was very keen on music," said the Bonhams auctioneer, Chris Brickley. "There are some of the better works on the walls, chests full of sketchbooks, travelling chests with a few unstretched canvases, rugs and clutter and an easel."

Other works were stored in chests and cupboards.

The works on offer are fairly typical. An oil painting of the North Shore at Findhorn is expected to sell for 800-1,200.Pictures of Bass Rock and of cattle watering by moonlight are estimated at 1,200-1,800.

One of more than 50 lots includes a travelling case of 17 sketches, while works he collected by contemporaries sich as Charles Mackie and Robert Noble are also up for sale.

Family members seem to have lived in just one or two rooms, said Mr Brickley.

"There are pictures throughout the house, but these don't appear to have been moved for decades, he added.

"He is one of Scotland's more original landscape painters, and it is remarkable this studio has survived largely intact."