Description
Signed, inscribed and dated verso, '7 Sept '51', oil on canvas
Dimensions
54cm x 64cm (21.25in x 25.25in)
Footnote
Provenance: The Robertson Collection
Note:
War interrupted Fergusson and Morris' sunny idyll in the South of France and eventually they chose to settle in Glasgow, which Fergusson felt to be the most Celtic Scottish city, an important accolade from an artist who was endlessly proud of his Scottish ancestry. Together they set to engaging and enlivening the Glasgow arts scene and it was around this time that Fergusson began to receive establishment recognition, following a successful touring retrospective in 1948.
Greenhouse, Botanic Gardens from the early 1950s, demonstrates Fergusson's endless commitment to his established technique and subject matter; observing city folk at their leisure in the botanic garden whilst capturing the green lushness and utilising the Cezanne-esque brushstrokes and hints of the Fauvist complementary colours that he first encountered and adapted at the turn of the century. It also demonstrates why he came to be known as a colourist, in this, the colours remain brilliantly fresh and clear. Anne Robertson remembered this being on the easel, the painting Fergusson was currently working on, on their first visit to his studio.