As our Paintings & Works on Paper sale approaches on Thursday 14th July, members of the Lyon & Turnbull team have selected a few of their favourite pictures to share from our forthcoming auction. Read on to learn more about the pieces they would love to hang on their walls...
In a previous role, I had the pleasure of walking along Regent Road every morning on my way to work; past the Old Calton Cemetery, the Royal High and down Jacob’s Ladder. Prior to descending the jagged narrow steps, I would take a minute to take in the view; the compacted closes running off Canongate, the noble ruins of Holyrood Abbey, the blend of modern Parliament against ancient rock. Although the landscape is ever evolving, the essence of Old Edinburgh is particularly present in this part of the city. Wilson has perfectly presented the eerie majesty of Holyrood amongst the Crags; the fine lines detailing complicated architecture against intricate landscape. Far more impressive is his ability to capture the magical essence of Edinburgh – that everyone feels but no one can quite describe. The lucky owner of this piece will no doubt feel the same as I did every morning when witnessing the scene in real life.
- Mairi Wilson, Digital Marketing Coordinator
As interest grows in modern Scottish women artists, I think Millie Frood will receive more and more attention. She was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire and trained at Glasgow School of Art (GSA) under Maurice Greiffenhagen. She later taught at Bellshill Academy, as had former GSA alumnus James Cowie before her. Along with the Scottish Colourist J. D. Fergusson and his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, Frood was a founder member of the New Scottish Group. This was established in Glasgow in 1942 in order to provide affordable and democratic exhibiting opportunities and staged eight exhibitions between 1943 and 1956. Frood’s Italian Café of 1952 dates from this exciting period in her career. The picture is full of verve and movement, as the café proprietor is captured preparing an ice cream for the eager children at the counter. Frood’s angular rendering of the busy scene adds to a sense of energy, whilst touches like the somewhat cross cat at the lower right add humour to the mix.
- Alice Strang, Associate Director, Senior Specialist Modern & Contemporary Art
LOT 17 | JESSIE ALEXANDRA DICK A.R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1896-1976) | WHITE COTTAGES, HIGH CORRIE, ARRAN
Jessie Dick attended Glasgow School of Art from 1915 and not long after finishing her studies in 1919 she joined the teaching staff. This oil on canvas appeals to me due to its association with a time at the Glasgow School of Art that was highly influential. The first generation of Glasgow Girls (1880-1920) were made household names in the early 90s by a major exhibition and accompanying text by Jude Burkhauser. White Cottages, High Corrie, Arran shows the artist’s beautiful handling of paint and use of colour. It is difficult to date but could coincide with fellow Glasgow Girl Jessie King’s summer school at High Corrie which ran from 1911-1939. Arran was certainly an artists colony in the early 20th century.
- James McNaught, Associate Director, Head of Glasgow
Willy Mucha’s depiction of Pont Vendres offers viewers with a characteristically vibrant vision of the southern French port. Mucha had settled in the nearby port town of Collioure in 1939, which had become a celebrated hub of artistic activity since the beginning of the twentieth century. This piece, with the free and loose brushstrokes in the foreground against the cool and open expanse of blue in the background, evokes a distinctly modern sensation as the realms of representation and abstraction blur, or as Mucha would prefer to consider it, as the destiny of the incarnate and the non-incarnate play out.
- Matthew Yeats, London Client Services & Auction Administrator
LOT 94 | BARBARA RAE | VENUS AND JARDINIERE
Some artists approach printmaking as supplementary to their primary practice, but Barbara Rae has remained committed to printmaking as an artform in its own right since her early days as a student at Edinburgh College of Art. Venus and Jardiniere was produced when Rae was teaching drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art, and exemplifies her technical acuity as well as her signature bold, vibrant palette. Rae is known for her landscapes, so it’s lovely to see her work on a more intimate, domestic scale.
- Chantal de Prez, Junior Paintings Specialist
On my wall I would love to have lot 92. I was immediately drawn to the quirkiness of these posters when viewing the sale. I like the muted but bold colours and use of perspective; these illustrations would brighten any room giving it a modern feel with a dash of humour.
- Derrian Fraser, Client Services & Reception
CHANTAL DE PREZ | HEAD OF SALE
chantal.deprez@lyonandturnbull.com