Category Archives: Scottish Art

The Hunterian, Glasgow – Charles Rennie Mackintosh – his dark furniture

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chair ,sideboard, C.R. Mackintosh, The Hunterian, Glasgow

We’re back at The Hunterian in Glasgow again, with the photos I took of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s dark furniture.

C.R. Mackintosh, The Hunterian, Glasgowchair,cupboard

It’s easier to see the slightly Japanese influence in these designs I think.

Desk, C.R. Mackintosh, The Hunterian, Glasgow

 

C.R. Mackintosh, chair, The Hunterian, Glasgow

I’m not sure whether I prefer his white or black furniture, but I think that the white for bedrooms is prettier – and it won’t show up the dust as much!

Dining room ,C.R. Mackintosh, Glasgow

 

Dining room , The Hunterian, C.R. Mackintosh, Glasgow

Anyway, if you happen to be in Glasgow and you admire Charles Rennie Mackintosh you should definitely make time to visit The Hunterian, which also has a lot of art on show, but that’s another blogpost I think.

furniture, C.R. Mackintosh, The Hunterian, Glasgow

Sir John Lavery exhibition

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A few weeks ago we travelled in to Edinburgh to visit the Sir John Lavery exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy. His painting below is of Edinburgh’s Princes Street with the Scott monument and castle rock domineering – as they do. The exhibition is strangely titled An Irish Impressionist, because Lavery has always been regarded as being Scottish as although he was born in Ireland he was orphaned very young, aged five I think,  and moved to Scotland to be brought up by an uncle. Sadly the exhibition isn’t free, unless you are a ‘Friend’. It costs between £5 and £19 apparently, but we are Friends of the Galleries.

Princes Street, Edinburgh, Sir John Lavery

Below is his “View from the Canal” which was actually the River Kelvin. This was at the International Exhibition at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove in 1888.

A View from the Canal Kelvingrove

Evening Tangier – below.

An Evening in Tangier, Sir John Lavery

The painting below is called The Intruders but whether it refers to the geese or the children is anybody’s guess.

The Intruders, Sir John Lavery

 

Woman on Horse, Sir John Lavery

Coast defence below has a lot of reflections in it. It dates from his time as a war artist.

Coast Defence, Sir John Lavery

Below is Hendon 1917.

Hendon 1917, Sir John Lavery

I realy like the one below which is of the main building at the 1888 International Exhibition. Electricity was used for public illumination in Scotland for the first time there.

The Glasgow International Exhibition

As my great friend Joan remarked – his style is reminiscent of John Singer Sargent.

 

Adam Bruce Thomson at The City Art Centre, Edinburgh

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We went to the Adam Bruce Thomson exhibition at The City Art Centre in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. The exhibition is titled The Quiet Path.

Below is his painting of Dean Bridge, a part of Edinburgh which looks very much the same now as it does in his painting.

The Old Dean Bridge

Below is his painting of the North Bridge with the Salisbury Crags in the background, Edinburgh.

North Bridge and Salisbury Crags Edinburgh

With a very different style he painted the village of New Galloway, below.

New Galloway

In Bringing in the Hay below he has documented a part of social history, before everything on farms was mechanised.

Bringing in the Hay

In another style Adam Bruce Thomson portrays The Royal Engineers Building a Bridge, below, a scene he would have witnessed in his time in the Royal Engineers in World War I.  If you want to see more of his works have a look here.

Royal Engineers Building a Bridge Near Mons

This is a great exhibition which is in a gallery just off the main streets of Edinburgh, at the back of Waverley Station, it’s well worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh. As the Edinburgh Festival started yesterday when we happened to be in the city, it felt like the hordes had descended on the place, apparently the population doubles in August.