Month: October 2020

Views of Edinburgh at City Art Centre

‘National Gallery and Castle, Edinburgh’, Nicol Laidlaw. Etching on paper, 1925. Shown in the exhibition ‘Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920’s’.

“The Scottish National War Memorial was the most significant public art project to take place in Scotland in the 1920s. Designed by the architect Robert Lorimer, and located within the precincts of Edinburgh Castle, the Memorial was devised to honour the causalities of the First World War on a national scale. Construction work began in 1923 and continued until 1927.

This etching by Nicol Laidlaw records the progress of the project in 1925. A series of cranes and temporary structures can be seen on the horizon, gradually transforming Edinburgh’s architectural skyline.

The revival of printmaking was a major trend in Scottish art during the 1920s. Increasing numbers of artists earned a living making etchings for a buoyant commercial market.”

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/bright-shadows-scottish-art-1920s

‘The Enchanted Capital of Scotland’, Jessie Marion King. Children’s book illustration, 1945. Shown in the exhibition ‘City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection’.

Bright colours and playful style stood out to me in contrast with the countless “serious artworks” and dreary grey views of Edinburgh.

‘The Entry of George IV into Edinburgh from the Calton Hill’, John Wilson Ewbank. Large scale oil painting, 1822. Shown in the exhibition ‘City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection’.

Stands out to anyone as a very impressive painting due to its scale and subject.

‘View from the Mound, Edinburgh, Looking West’, William Crozier. Oil on panel, 1929. Shown in the exhibition ‘Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920’s’.

A snowy day in Edinburgh. Mysterious, inviting and scenic.

‘North Bridge and Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh, from the North West’, Adam Bruce Thomson. Oil on canvas, 1930s. Shown in the exhibition ‘City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection’.

‘the beautification of our public buildings in Scotland’ – a new view of the Old Town.

‘Princes Street Station’, William Wilson. Pencil on paper, 1926. Shown in the exhibition ‘Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920’s’.

Historical record – interesting.

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/Data/Committee%20on%20the%20Jean%20F%20Watson%20Bequest/20171215/Agenda/item_53_-_purchase_of_a_drawing_by_william_wilson.pdf

‘The Saut Buckets, Edinburgh’, 1926 and ‘Edinburgh Tenements’, 1934. Ernest Stephen Lumsden, drypoint etchings. Not sure which specific piece was shown at City Art Centre.

https://www.campbell-fine-art.com/items.php?id=142

https://www.williampcarlfineprints.com//pieces/2066_Edinburgh_Tenements

Not Pictured:

‘Moonrise Over St Giles’, Katherine Cameron. Illustration for Haunting Edinburgh, 1920s. Shown in the exhibition ‘Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920’s’.

‘John Knox’s House and View of High Street’, Joseph Gray. Etching, 1920’s. Shown in the exhibition ‘Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920’s’.