JOHN MACLAUCHLAN MILNE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1886-1957) §
ST. PAUL DE VENCE
£27,000
Scottish Paintings & Sculpture
Auction: 10 December 2015 at 18:00 GMT
Description
Signed, oil on board
Dimensions
51cm x 53.5cm (20in x 25in)
Footnote
Note: The artistic link between Scotland and France in the early decades of the 20th century was strong and, in many ways, remarkable. Famously, the Scottish Colourists Fergusson, Peploe, Cadell and Hunter forged a path in Paris ahead of many of their English counterparts, quickly absorbing and reacting to the work of their heroes of the Post-Impressionist school. Milne was the son of traditional landscape artist Joseph Milne and, though his very early work is indebted to his father's influence, he soon turned his attention to developments on the Continent. Though a generation younger than his fellow compatriots in France, Maclauchlan Milne followed exuberantly in their tradition; earning himself the moniker of "The Fifth Colourist".
Milne found his way to stylistic maturity after his studies in Paris post-WW1 led him to meet and marry a Frenchwoman. France became his second home and the couple lived there for much of the year amongst the medieval villages of the Loire Valley, travelling to St Tropez, Provence and Cassis, where he would mingle with fellow British artists, S.J. Peploe, F.C.B. Cadell and Duncan Grant. The work 'A Village in Provence' is an excellent example of this French period. His deep commitment to Cezanne is apparent in the keenly observed, blockish solidity of the village walls; deep green foliage contrasting starkly against the sun-baked chalkiness of the buildings and cloudless sky.