You can now pre-order my Scottish Colourists book, commissioned by the National Galleries of Scotland! It is due to be published in Autumn 2026 and you can reserve your copy at this link.
oil on canvas, 51 x 61cm
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh: Purchased 1941
A Question of a Cover
You can read about the Scottish Colourists all over this website, including here and also about the book here. What we are thinking about now is a question of a cover image. On my short list is Peploe’s Tulips – The Blue Jug. It shows not only Peploe’s mastery of the still life genre, but also nods to his friendship with Cadell, who also painted similar – if not the same – props of a blue jug and orange-rimmed dish.
oil on canvas, 76 x 64cm
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh:
Bequeathed by Mr and Mrs G. D. Robinson through the Art Fund 1988
A Cadell Contender
There are many beautiful works by Cadell in the Scottish National Collection and his Portrait of a Lady in Black is a favourite with visitors. It shows his most celebrated model, Bethia Don Wauchope, in his home at 6 Ainslie Place in Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town. However, it was used for the cover of the catalogue to accompany the Cadell retrospective exhibition, that I curated, at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 2011 so we had probably better choose something else.
oil on canvas, 46 x 39cm
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh:
Bequeathed by Lady Susan Elliott and The Hon. Lord Elliott M.C., Q.C. 2022
(c) Culture Perth and Kinross
A New Fergusson
A relatively new Scottish Colourist work to enter the collection is Flowers and Pink Box of 1911 by Fergusson. It was bequeathed by Lady Susan Elliott and The Hon. Lord Elliott to the National Galleries of Scotland in 2022. Fergusson painted it whilst living in Paris before the First World War, when he was caught up in the extraordinarily creative art world which gave birth to what we know as Modern Art. The titular pink box is rumoured to have been where the artist kept his contraceptives.
oil on canvas, 64 x 76cm
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh: Presented by Mr William McInnes 1933
The First Hunter
The first work by any of the Scottish Colourists to enter the national collection was Reflections, Balloch of 1931 by Hunter. It was presented by his friend and patron, the Glasgow ship-owner William McInnes in 1933. This was controversial as Hunter had died two years earlier and the National Galleries of Scotland had an unspoken rule at the time of not collecting an artist’s work until they had been dead for at least a decade. However, the then Director-General, Stanley Cursiter, recognised its significance in Scottish art history and also knew he could use it to champion a gallery devoted to modern and contemporary art. He vision finally became reality when the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art opened in 1960. I think this is my favourite for the book cover. What do you think?
Remember to pre-order my Scottish Colourists book and you will find out the winner! All the paintings featured above are reproduced and discussed in it.
