Like several of the Dundee artists, Carmichael was very active politically. In 1895, for example, Carmichael wrote to the Advertiser in reply to a scathing article on nationalism, saying: “Abolish this worship of land, gold and property by making them common property, as the streets of our towns, our parks, our museums are common property. Then the desire of such things will evaporate, and merge into the recognition of the idea that all things belong to one and all.”Dundee Advertiser 6/8/1895. Carmichael’s ideal of socialism was “the development of man to his highest in his mental, moral, and physical nature, this only being possible by striving to give all men equal opportunities of development.” Art played an important role because “beautiful environment of life, home, and law will gradually efface from our earth mental and physical ugliness.”
