Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Scottish Colourists and Anne Redpath

The poppy Field, circa 1963, Tate Gallery. A t...Image via Wikipedia













Problems can lead us to treasures. Our central heating decided to have a holiday this week right in the middle of winter. Staying warm was a problem. I was grateful for a coat my sister in law gave me. She purchased the coat in Northern Italy. I can only describe it as like wearing a feather doona. So I spent my time staying warm and I had a great time watching the ‘Palin on Art ‘ DVD and I also watched the brilliant Art Nation TV show on the ABC.


The Scottish Colourists

When I first started to paint my favourite subject was still-lifes. It was therefore no surprise my favourite paintings from the Palin DVD were the still-lifes. The wonderful work of the Scottish Colourists and Anne Redpath are featured on the DVD. The colourists were a group of artists who had an influence on and were influenced by the French Impressionist and Fauvists of the early 1900’s.

The used brilliant colour and wild brush strokes

John Ferguson, Lesley Hunter, F. C. B Cadell and Samuel John Peploe exhibited their work in Paris in 1907 and became known as The Modern Scottish Painters. They used vibrant colours and wild brush strokes. Their work was considered elegant and sophisticated in France. But the British found their work shocking. They spend a lot of time in France painting. When the First World War broke out they returned to Britain. John, Lesley, Frances and Beverly produced some of Britain’s greatest works. They have often been over looked and their influence underrated. Their paintings are now worth a lot of money. The images I have used here are from the Bridgeman Art on Demand website. The posters are available at www.bridgemanartondemand.com they have a range of works by this group of artists.


Some links to examples of the Scottish Colourists works

John Fergusson





F.C.B Cadell and more information on the Scottish Colourists http://www.exploreart.co.uk/artistic_styles_details.asp?ArtistID=11&ArtisticStyleID=4

Anne Redpath

Anne Redpath (1895 – 1965) was another Scottish artist who spent time in France. It is interesting to note she did very little painting during this time. Her time was taken up being a wife of an architect and a mother of three boys. When asked about this later in her life she said she never regretted doing so.

Anne was one of the most respected artists of her generation

She did create brief impressions and complied notes of the scenes she observed in France. When her children were older she launched herself into a life of painting. She became one of the most respected artists of her generation. My favourite painting of Anne’s is ‘The Poppy Field’ Peploe’s ‘Tulips’ and I love Cadell’s ‘The Vase of Water’


My favourite ‘The Field of Poppies’
http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=12343&searchid=9755

Anne painted still-lifes, Scottish landscapes and Mediterranean scenes

Until the 1950’s Anne painted Still-Lifes and Scottish landscapes. After this time she painted scenes from Mediterranean life. Abstract painting has been the main focus of my art for over twenty years. But I feel an urge to go back to my first love and try some still-lifes.

Like always I have gotten carried way looking for and viewing examples of the work of this wonderful group of artists so I have run out of time and will talk about the gems found on the Art Nation show in the next blog.
  
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