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Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980

National Galleries of Scotland announces Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980, an exploration of 80 years of art at the newly reopened Modern Two

Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980

29 April 2023

Free

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two)

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) in Edinburgh will reopen on 29 April 2023 with a spectacular new exhibition, Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980.

This fascinating, free exhibition will take a journey through 80 years of art, from 1900 to the 1970s. Spanning a period of dramatic change, moving from the birth of the motorcar to the dawn of the space race, each work on display will be drawn from the Gallery’s world-class collection of modern art.

Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980 will take visitors through a series of six chapters across six rooms at Modern Two. Each chapter speaks of a particular moment from across the twentieth century, when artists rebelled against the previous generation, creating works which came to characterise a period.

Beginning with French artists who painted with electrifying colour, the first room includes work by Henri Matisse and André Derain. Their brightly coloured landscape paintings were so radically different that the artists were given the derogatory label ‘Fauves’ – meaning ‘wild beasts’. The term stuck and Fauvism had a major impact on British and particularly Scottish art.

Two fabulous new acquisitions, by Scottish Colourists FCB Cadell and JD Fergusson, feature in this room. Leith-born JD Fergusson, who lived in Paris before the First World War, was one of the key Scottish artists of the twentieth century.

Painted in 1911, Flowers and Pink Box, is vigorous and confident in its brushwork, bright and clashing in colour. The Rose and the Lacquer Screen, by FCB Cadell, combines several of his favourite still-life props: a rose in a transparent vase, a black fan and its trailing ribbon and a detail of the lacquered screen that dominated the drawing room of his house in Edinburgh’s New Town. These new acquisitions have been generously donated by private owners.

Moving into the 1930s, artists such as Piet Mondrian believed that art could change society. This room will feature work by Alexander Calder, Paule Vézelay and Ben Nicholson.

Entering the 1940s, abstraction and idealism were replaced by grim realism. Featuring work by Francis Bacon, Joan Eardley and Bet Low, these paintings and sculptures, created both during and immediately after the Second World War, speak of a new reality.

The 1950s saw a battle between Abstraction and Realism. This is illustrated in Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980 by two mural projects created for the great Festival of Britain exhibition of 1951, which will be shown together here for the first time. Josef Hermann’s project shows a row of miners – builders of a new socialist order; Victor Pasmore’s mural project is instead a daring essay glimpse of spiralling abstract forms. Exceptional creations by Alan Davie, Louise Nevelson, Fernand Léger, Eduardo Paolozzi and Elisabeth Frink will also be on display, making up the 1950s presentation.

Art became celebratory, playful and experimental in the 1960s. Sculptors abandoned traditional materials such as bronze and marble for ‘soft sculpture’, exemplified in the work of Jann Haworth, Yayoi Kusama and Duane Hanson’s iconic Tourists.

Throughout the 1970s, artists took Abstraction and Minimalism to extremes. Fred Sandback’s Untitled, 1971 – two coloured cords which cut across the corner of the room – questions the very notion of art as something with three-dimensional form or narrative meaning.

The Keiller Library will focus on the motif of the hand in Surrealist art and writing. Drawing on works by artists like Man Ray, Edith Rimmington and Salvador Dali, from the national collection’s world-class holding of Surrealist books and archive material.

Radical, questioning and experimental, this selection of one hundred works from the national collection shows ways in which artists have continually pushed the boundaries and created art which defines its time. These pieces still have the power to shock and make us think about our world today.

Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, Sir John Leighton, said: ‘National Galleries of Scotland is delighted to reopen Modern Two with an exhibition that celebrates the strength of the national collection.

“Featuring a fascinating range of works by many of Scotland and the world’s greatest artists, Decades: The Art of Change 1900-1980 encourages visitors to think about how art can both reflect and change the way we see the world around us.

“We welcome you to join us on a voyage of discovery through 80 years of bold artistic achievement.’

Adult Education Classes: Sketching animals in the Zoo

Sketching Animals in the Zoo – two dates in March

A picture containing indoor, mammal, giant panda

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This one day course offers a unique opportunity to observe animals closely and be able to sketch from real life.

From the feathered to the furry, from the fancy patterned to the plain camouflage and from the massive to the miniscule, you will have a chance to see the personalities of individual animals by their behaviour and be able to capture this in quick sketches or more in-depth drawings.

The professional artist tutor can help with tips, knowledge and techniques on how to develop animal sketches. You will also learn fascinating facts about the animals and the experience will breathe new life and expression into your art as a new challenge to capture these real life moments.

Enjoy a day of being amongst the animals, outdoors or inside a warm enclosure area if the weather is not so good (entry fee included in course fee). Great opportunity to see the Panda bears before they depart later this year.

There are 2 dates:

Sketching Animals in the Zoo – All – (3/3) – OUT18215M (Friday) from 10am-3pm

Sketching Animals in the Zoo – All – (21/3) – OUT18212M (Tuesday) 10am – 3pm

Fees: Standard £23.88 – student or senior citizen or benefits £17.38

To book a place or find out more please ring 0131 556 7978 or online at www.joininedinburgh.org

Peter Howson at 65: A retrospective

Portrait of Peter Howson at Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London in 2021 in front of his painting Phlegethon (The Fiery Third River of Hell), 2021.

New major exhibition coming this Spring to City Art Centre.
Saturday 27 May to Sunday 1 October 2023

A major retrospective of one of the UK’s leading figurative painters, Peter Howson, opens at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre in May 2023.

The exhibition will bring together around 100 works spanning the artist’s career, many never seen before in Scotland.

Howson has established a formidable reputation in the art world. His heroic portrayals of the mighty and the lowly confront subjects of human conflict and destruction that offer a penetrating insight into the human condition.

His experiences of abuse—whether self-inflicted and substance-related, or the traumatic events of his childhood—have moulded his world view, and afforded him an affinity with individuals on the margins of society.

The City Art Centre’s Curatorial and Conservation Manager, David Patterson has been planning the exhibition since 2019, working closely with Howson and his London gallery.

Howson has previously shown at the City Art Centre, when his critically acclaimed solo exhibition devoted to Scotland’s patron saint Andrew was displayed in 2007.

David Patterson commented: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see works assembled from public and private collections.

“This retrospective will illustrate Peter’s consummate skill in a range of media and explore his religious work as well as his graphic responses to recent global events including the covid pandemic and war in Ukraine.

Councillor Val Walker, Convener of Culture and Communities said: “Peter Howson is one of the most respected artists of his generation and we are very proud that the City Art Centre will host this major study of his work.

“Visitors will be able to discover Howson’s instantly recognisable works with many on display in Scotland for the first time. Celebrating Howson’s 50-year career, we will showcase over 100 pieces across four floors.

“It will be the highlight exhibition of 2023.”

Emerging from Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, Howson quickly proved his skill of capturing the maverick, the excessive, the non-conformist and his own personal understanding of the struggles of everyday life.

In 1992 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. He was appointed official British war artist for Bosnia in 1993 and in 1996 was awarded Doctor of Letters at The University of Strathclyde. His work is included in numerous national and international museum collections.

When the Apple Ripens: Peter Howson at 65: A Retrospective opens at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh on 27th May 2023 and runs until 1st October 2023.

A new book will accompany the exhibition, published by Sansom and Co.

Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Museums & Galleries Edinburgh website.

A keenly awaited Edinburgh tradition returns: Turner in January

TURNER IN JANUARY 
1 January – 31 January 2023, open daily 10am – 5pm
Royal Scottish Academy
The Mound, Edinburgh. EH2 2EL 
0131 624 6200 | nationalgalleries.org 
Admission free

Opening on New Year’s Day 2023, the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) is pleased to welcome back visitors to their yearly tradition: Turner in January.

Scotland’s famous collection of Joseph Mallord William Turner watercolours was left to the nation by the great art collector Henry Vaughan in 1900. Since then, following Vaughan’s strict guidelines, they have only ever been displayed during the month of January, when natural light levels are at their lowest. Because of this, these watercolours still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour, almost 200 years since they were originally created. 

Turner in January, the annual exhibition of these watercolours in Edinburgh, is a keenly awaited tradition for many people in Scotland. The 38 watercolours include dramatic landscapes from the Himalayas, the Swiss Alps, and the Isle of Skye, grand visions of Venice, and captivating seascapes. They will take you on a journey through Britain, Europe and beyond, and guide you through the life and career of this iconic artist.

Turner was the most famous British artist of the 19th century. In a career spanning over 50 years, he experimented constantly with technique and colour and created landscapes that still astonish today.

Turner developed new ways of painting in watercolour and revolutionised ideas of what could be achieved in the medium. Through a combination of exceptional talent and incredible hard work, Turner was able to capture in paint the sublime beauty of the natural world.

Taking over two large, spacious rooms within the Royal Scottish Academy, Turner in January contains all 38 watercolours from Henry Vaughan’s gift to the nation, plus the exciting addition of the mesmerising Bell Rock Lighthouse (1819).

In 2023, NGS is delighted that this much-loved annual exhibition is made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Charlotte Topsfield, Senior Curator of European & Scottish Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘As we enter the New Year, Turner’s watercolours bring light to the dark days of January.

“The brilliantly preserved Vaughan Turners, and their accompanying tradition, hold a special place in the hearts of our visitors. We look forward to welcoming you back’.

New discoveries await in major refresh at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COLLECTION
28 September 2022 – 2025
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR
0131 624 6200
Admission free
#ScotModernConversations

A major exhibition of rarely seen artworks from Scotland’s national collection brings an abundance of new discoveries for visitors to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One).

The exhibition, titled Conversations with the Collection, takes over almost the whole of the top floor of the gallery. Curators have been busy delving into the riches of the nation’s collection of the modern and contemporary art to bring to light rarely displayed yet fascinating artworks and stories.

They have been inspired to find bold juxtapositions and visual similarities between artworks, styles and movements to offer a fresh take on how works of art can be presented and share the stories they tell. These can be enjoyed by all for free from 28 September 2022 with the art on the walls refreshed throughout the exhibition’s run.

Talking points have been encouraged and explored by covering a wide mix of techniques, processes and approaches, demonstrated across sculpture, painting, photography and more

. Iconic works by famous artists such as Anish Kapoor, Sarah Lucas, Jackson Pollock, Tracey Emin and Cindy Sherman are on display alongside those by brilliant but lesser-known figures including Carole Gibbons and Catherine Yarrow.

Highlights include:

• A stunning ‘Madonna’ lithograph by Edvard Munch, on long loan from a private collection.
• From ARTIST ROOMS, striking photographic portraits by Robert Mapplethorpe of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his underwear and a topless shot of punk rock musician Smutty Smith.
• A vibrant still life by celebrated Scottish artist Anne Redpath.
• A series of colour woodcuts of vivid flower prints by the much-loved British artist Mabel Royds.
• Saturn by Helen Frankenthaler, the only major Abstract Expressionist painting by a female artist in the collection, on display for the first time in ten years.

Curated by Emma Gillespie, Leila Riszko and Stephanie Straine, Conversations with the Collection shares accessible and alternative perspectives on art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, without using jargon or art-historical terminology. With more than 100 fascinating artworks waiting to be discovered, the curators hope that this approach will offer visitors a new way of seeing and understanding modern and contemporary art through key ideas and issues of our times.

Conversations with the Collection presents artworks in unexpected arrangements; for example, a gouache made by the Indian artist Jamini Roy in 1930s Kolkata will be placed alongside a lithograph by Edvard Munch printed in 1890s Berlin and a pastel drawing made by Carole Gibbons in 1960s Glasgow, to encourage discussion about shared affinities between artists from different time periods and geographical locations.

Each room explores a unique theme or topic, taking on issues such as sexuality, gender roles, and racial stereotypes; the evolution of the traditionally feminine domestic sphere in the modern and contemporary art world, and creative approaches to working sustainably as reframed by the climate emergency.

Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Stephanie Straine, said: “Conversations with the Collection brings together Scottish and international modern and contemporary art in celebration of the ideas and inspirations that drive artists to make work.

“With open-ended creativity at the heart of this big exhibition, we hope our visitors will feel inspired to rediscover their collection.”

Miniature vertical farms travel the country as Dandelion’s cubes tour begins

Dandelion’s cubes are going on tour, starting on top of the iconic Calton Hill in Edinburgh. Special cargo bikes, featuring Dandelion’s unique ‘growing cubes’ called ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’, will be touring Scotland in Dandelion’s latest initiative to bring music, nature, art, science, community food growing and more, to as many people as possible.

The Cubes Bike Tour forms part of Dandelion, a major creative programme demonstrating the power of collective action through an ambitious ‘grow your own’ initiative that aims to reach hundreds of thousands of people throughout Scotland and further afield this summer.

The creative programme has been following the arc of the growing season, spanning from April to September 2022, bringing together music and art with science and technology to inspire people to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ music, food, ideas and stories.

Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government,  Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. 

A touring fleet of cargo bikes displaying Dandelion’s growing cubes – miniature vertical farms – will travel the Highlands and Lowlands throughout August.

Four custom-made, electrically assisted bikes – each carrying a cube – will visit ten towns and cities, stopping at school playgrounds, green spaces, town centres, and Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens, among other locations.

The bikes team will also be giving away free seeds to encourage people to grow their own food. As we come to grips with the impacts of climate change, the need to travel sustainably have never been more important, and the cargo bikes show one way to what is possible.

The bikes also embed active travel at the core of the tour by cycling across the country, as Scotland prepares to host the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.

The 1m x 1m cubes are designed to foster accelerated plant growing and have been developed to grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, combining design craft, traditional horticultural expertise and technological innovation.

The Dandelion team will also be giving away free seed packets and sharing their expertise, so that everyone can grow their own herbs at home and also find out more about Dandelion’s Harvest celebrations in September.

At each stop, the cubes will play new music specially commissioned for Dandelion by Scottish and international artists, inspired by the natural world and can only be heard at the sites, including Vendanth Bharadwaj, Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist, 2022 Mercury-nominated Fergus McCreadie, Ravi Bandhu, Trio Da Kali, and amiina & Kathleen MacInnes.

Featuring programmable, immersive lighting integrated with speaker systems designed to best showcase the new music playing from the cubes. Each new music piece is commissioned by Dandelion with additional support for international work from British Council Scotland.

Neil Butler, Director of Festivals and Events at Dandelion, said: ‘We can’t wait for the Cubes Bike Tour to begin. It’s a great way to share Dandelion’s message and reach people in locations throughout Scotland.

“The bikes will be travelling all over the country so we’d love to see people coming along to witness some of the magic, get seeds to grow your own at home and hear more about our upcoming Harvest celebrations.’

Paul Bush OBE, Visit Scotland Director of Events said: “The Dandelion programme is creating an incredible array of events across Scotland this summer, each finding unique moments to connect with people all over the country through growing.

“The Cubes Bike Tour is another engaging example of this, taking Dandelion right into the heart of locations right across Scotland to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

“It’s also fantastic to see events like this embed active travel as part of their programme, and it’s particularly exciting to see biking at the core of this tour as Scotland gears up to celebrate cycling on the world-stage in one year’s time, hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships”.

Cosmo Blake, Network Engagement Manager at Sustrans Scotland “We are delighted to be able to support Dandelion by supplying four cargo bikes for the Cubes Bike Tour this August.

“By utilising the National Cycle Network, the UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking, wheeling and cycling, the tour will be able to reach communities sustainably. With the ever-present impacts from climate change, the importance of both food and transport sustainability are becoming more and more relevant.

“Bringing together active travel, growing, and the arts is a fantastic way to demonstrate the huge breadth of possibilities of cycling for transport as well as for leisure.”

The Cube Bikes will be passing through the places below:

Edinburgh, Tue 2 August

1pm, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens

4pm, Unexpected Garden, Lauriston Farm

Hawick, Wed 3 August

4pm, Hawick Museum, Wilton Lodge Gardens

Stranraer, Fri 5 August

1pm, Unexpected Garden, Harbour Street

Greenock, Sat 6 August

10.30am, Battery Park and along the esplanade

11.30am, Beacon Arts Centre

2pm, The Drying Green, Inverkip Road

Glasgow, Sun 7 August

10.00am, Govan Cross

12noon, Glasgow Science Centre

Forres, Tue 23 August

1pm, Market Square

7pm, Grant Park

Inverness, Wed 24 August

5.30pm, City Centre

Alness, Thu 25 August

Schools tour only

Wick, Fri 26 August

11am, Harbour tour

1pm, Market Square

Thurso, Sat 27 August

1pm, Town Centre

7.30pm, Unexpected Garden

Further locations to be announced throughout August.

For more information and location updates, please see: www.dandelion.scot

Dandelion is commissioned by EventScotland, funded by the Scottish Government and is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. The bikes were commissioned for Dandelion by Sustrans. The Cube Bikes Tour route will follow the National Cycle Network where available. https ://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/

From Waste to Wall: new exhibition at Leith’s Image Collective Gallery

From reinterpreting autism to reimagining single-use products – how one artist is changing perspectives in Edinburgh this summer

Leith’s Image Collective Gallery launches thought-provoking new exhibition
‘From Waste to Wall’ with an opportunity to meet the artist

Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, art has played an important role throughout James Owen Thomas’ life as a means of communication and expression. Now aged 21, the multi award-winning artist views his autism not as a disability, but as a different kind of ability. And it is because of James’ unique ability to change perspectives that his latest exhibition, From Waste to Wall, is sure to attract attention.

Debuting at Edinburgh’s Image Collective Gallery, From Waste to Wall features a range of thought-provoking collages, each one created using unwanted single-use products such as discarded lottery tickets. The artworks are intricately detailed – embodying James’ ethos that something genuinely beautiful can be created from items that others may deem as useless.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition opening, the North Yorkshire artist commented; “By creating collages from thousands of tiny pieces of discarded materials, I aim to make a positive statement about recycling.

“I have been exhibiting my unique style of environmental art since the age of 15 and I’m delighted to be displaying my art for the first time in Scotland this summer.”

The exhibition is being brought to Edinburgh thanks to the Image Collective Gallery owner, Sara Thomson, who first met James when they were both selected by PM Boris Johnson to become a COP26 One Step Greener Ambassador in 2021.

Explaining her appreciation of James’ work, Sara said; “When I saw James’ work displayed at COP26 I was immediately struck by how intricate and beautiful each collage is.

“I was also moved by the powerful message he is putting out there – the idea that we need to change our attitudes, behaviour, perceptions, and perspectives if we’re going to save the planet.”

The From Waste to Wall exhibition opens to the public on Tuesday 2^nd August at The Image Collective Gallery and runs until Friday 30^th September. The exhibition is free to view.

James Owen Thomas will be working on a live piece of art at The Image Collective Gallery on Tuesday 2^nd August, 10am – 3pm, during which all are welcome to come and meet the artist.

Edinburgh-based tech artist Trevor Jones stages exclusive crypto event at Stirling Castle

Stirling’s majestic 12^th-century castle is set to make history when it stages its first gathering of crypto enthusiasts and Bitcoin Angels this month.

The ancient seat, where the infant Mary Queen of Scots was crowned, will embrace 21^st-century technology at a Grand Party later this month (July 30) hosted by innovative artist Trevor Jones.

Fine art graduate and painter, Trevor has worked at the intersection of art and technology for more than a decade, experimenting with QR code paintings and augmented reality (AR). When he invested in Bitcoin in 2017 it inspired a new creative direction, leading to his crypto-themed AR paintings and his emergence as a pioneer of non-fungible tokens (NFT) in art.

The open-edition NFT derived from his painting The Bitcoin Angel broke sales records on its release last year generating $3.2M in 7 minutes and has become iconic in the NFT world. And now he’s hosting the Castle Party extravaganza to celebrate this exciting digital art movement and the unique worldwide community that has grown up around The Bitcoin Angel.

Billed as the year’s most exclusive crypto event, with an exclusive Special Edition Castle Party 2022 NFT available only at the gathering, it will bring more than 300 guests to Scotland from 20 countries across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Trevor Jones said: “When searching the world for a venue one place felt right above all others: the beautiful Stirling Castle in the heart of Scotland. More than just a celebration, this is an opportunity to support Scotland, both by putting it on the map of the NFT world and through the charity that we have chosen to endorse.”

The party, in partnership with 21CC Group and the Stirling Highland Hotel, will feature a range of entertainment including DJ RT, tribal drums and pipe band Clanadonia; sword-wielding warrior actors and performers from Combat International; sleight of hand from Jody Greig and Dusty the Magician; caricaturist Neil Kempsell; harpist Mary Macmaster; Pipe Major Kevin McLean, historical re-enactment group Living History Scotland and Royal Burgh of Renfrew Pipe Band.

Sponsored by NFT whisky marketplace Metacask, Nova Finance digital asset investments, Tokenframe digital screens for NFT artwork, Saga cigars hand crafted in the Dominican Republic, and Apollo NFT, a leading NFT consulting firm and production studio, the Grand Party will also feature a Confessional Booth and ‘crypto clergyman’ for any crypto-sinners to unburden their soul.

Adam Greenberg, Co-Founder, Nova Finance said: “Being invited to support Trevor’s event on home turf is both an honour and privilege. The world of blockchain has so much potential and bringing to life successes like The BItcoin Angel will only open up this space to many more people.

“Nova’s calling into this arena was just like Trevor’s, to challenge the traditional finance system, empower individuals and give them access to high quality tools and opportunities that wouldn’t have been available previously.”

Nim Siriwardana, Co-Founder, Metacask comments: “We’re delighted to be a part of this magical and historic event. What a venue, what a line-up, and what a day it promises to be.

“Having worked with Trevor on the record-breaking Macallan ’91 cask and Angel’s Share NFT auction, Metacask share a natural affinity for all things art, NFTs, and of course the Scottish staple, whisky. On that note, we’ll be armed with a choice selection of premium whiskies, so we look forward to enjoying a few drams with discerning guests at the bar… Slàinte!”

To attend, each partygoer must own at least one Bitcoin Angel open edition NFT and giveaways on the night will include limited edition prints, an angel T-shirt, a Bitcoin Angel branded Saga cigar and the chance to win three original Trevor Jones paintings. One being an artwork created especially for the party, will also be on offer.

Mickael Paris, Marketing Director at FinTech Scotland said: “Fintech is so much more than the use of new technology in the financial sector. With NFTs we have a perfect example of fintech innovation revolutionising one of the oldest and most established sectors, art.

“I was lucky enough to meet with Trevor a few months ago and was inspired by his story. It is fantastic for Scotland to be hosting the most exclusive crypto event this year and a real testament to the country’s vibrant fintech cluster. I’m looking forward to joining him and his guests at Stirling Castle.”

For more details and a full list of entertainment, please visit:

https://www.trevorjonesart.com/castleparty2022/

Hidden Van Gogh self-portrait discovered by National Galleries of Scotland

Sensational find to go on display in Edinburgh this summer

The National Galleries of Scotland has discovered what is almost certainly a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh.

Believed to be a first for a UK institution, the mysterious image was revealed by an x-ray taken when art conservators examined Van Gogh’s Head of a Peasant Woman of 1885 ahead of the forthcoming exhibition A Taste for Impressionism (30 July–13 November) at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. Visitors will be able to see the amazing x-ray image for the first timethrough a specially crafted lightbox at the centre of thedisplay.

Hidden from view for over a century, the self-portrait is on the back of the canvas with Head of a Peasant Woman and is covered by layers of glue and cardboard. NGS experts believe these materials were applied ahead of an exhibition in the early twentieth century. Van Gogh often re-used canvases to save money. However, instead of painting over earlier works, he would turn the canvas around and work on the reverse.

It may be possible to uncover the hidden self-portrait, but the process of removing the glue and cardboard will require delicate conservation work. Research is ongoing as to how that can be done without harming Head of a Peasant Woman.

Until then, the world can enjoy the tantalising discovery through a ghostly and utterly compelling x-ray image. It shows a bearded sitter in a brimmed hat with a neckerchief loosely tied at the throat. He fixes the viewer with an intense stare, the right side of his face in shadow and his left ear clearly visible.

Professor Frances Fowle, Senior Curator of French Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Moments like this are incredibly rare. We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world.

“What an incredible gift for Scotland, and one that will forever be in the care of the National Galleries. We are very excited to share this thrilling discovery in our big summer exhibition A Taste for Impressionism, where the x-ray image of the self-portrait will be on view for all to see.”

The condition of the underlying self-portrait is not known but, if it can be uncovered, it is expected to help shed new light on this enigmatic and beguiling artist.

Later in date than the Head of a Peasant Woman, the hidden painting is likely to have been made during a key moment in Van Gogh’s career, when he was exposed to the work of the French impressionists after moving to Paris. The experience had a profound effect and was a major influence on why he adopted a more colourful and expressive style of painting – one that is so much admired today.

Head of a Peasant Woman entered the NGS collection in 1960, as part of the gift of an Edinburgh lawyer, Alexander Maitland, in memory of his wife Rosalind. Dating from an early period in Van Gogh’s career, the painting shows a local woman from the town of Nuenen in the south of the Netherlands, where the artist lived from December 1883 to November 1885.

Painted in March or April 1885, it seems to be a likeness of Gordina de Groot (known as Sien) who was a model for Van Gogh’s early masterpiece The Potato Eaters of 1885 (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam). Her facial features, white cap and simple work clothes are sketched in oil, using broad brushstrokes and earthy colours typical of French realist artists such as Jean-François Millet, whom Van Gogh greatly admired.

In 1886 the artist moved to Paris to be closer to his brother Theo, who was an early supporter of the Impressionists. Exposed to the work of this revolutionary group of artists, Van Gogh lightened his palette and experimented with broken brushwork.

At the studio of Fernand Cormon, where he took classes in painting, he met avant-garde artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Emile Bernard. He also encountered the work of Georges Seurat and Paul Gauguin, under whose influence he began to paint more expressively, using brighter colours.

In the summer of 1887 Van Gogh was experimenting with painting portraits, using friends and also himself as a model. Theo was out of town and unable to assist financially, so Van Gogh re-used canvases to save money. Van Gogh died in 1890 and his brother followed six months later, at which point the artist’s entire oeuvre was left to Theo’s widow, Jo Van Gogh-Bonger.

Probably around 1905, when the Peasant Woman was lent to an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the decision was made to stick the canvas down on cardboard prior to framing. At this date the Peasant Woman was evidently considered more ‘finished’ than the Van Gogh self-portrait.

The painting changed hands several times and in 1923 was acquired by Evelyn St. Croix Fleming, whose son, Ian, became the creator of James Bond. It was not until 1951 that it came to Scotland, having entered the collection of Alexander and Rosalind Maitland.

Neil Hanna Photography www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk 07702 246823

Once revealed, the hidden self-portrait will be part of a group of several such self-portraits and other works painted on the back of earlier canvases from the Nuenen period.

Five examples are in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Others in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut; and the Kunstmuseum Den Haag.

Records in the Van Gogh Museum confirm that in 1929 the cardboard was removed from three of their Nuenen pictures by the Dutch restorer Jan Cornelis Traas, revealing the portraits on the verso.

Pictures: Neil Hanna

Collective announces Satellites Programme 2022 participants

We are delighted to announce the participants of Satellites Programme 2022 following our open call and selection process earlier this spring.

Satellites is Collective’s development programme for emergent creative practitioners based in Scotland and lies at the core of our mission and creative vision. We aim to support participants to better understand and navigate the sector; equipping them to sustain a creative practice and foster criticality through peer development and reflection.

This year’s practitioners were selected by artist Rabiya Choudhry, curator Sara Greavu, and writer and artist Jeda Pearl:

Thomas Abercromby

Thomas is a Glasgow-based artist and curator. His work often focuses on complex questions concerning gender, race, sexuality and class, and centres around the challenging of societal power structures. Recent projects include The School of Abolition; You’re Never Done, and the Glasgow Seed Library.

Kaya Fraser

Kaya is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Perth. Kaya works with analogue photography, film, writing and sound to explore the rose-tinted memories of working-class upbringings – her own included. Kaya has worked with Creative Dundee on the Full Picture commissions and held the position of Socially Engaged Artist in Residence 2021 at Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute.

Matthew Rimmer

Matthew is a Glasgow-based artist who creates succulent and vibrantly coloured sculptures, drawings and paintings concerned with the ideologies of nature. He also explores the relationship between plastic and queerness. Recent exhibitions and events include Shocked Quartz, Ugly Duck, London (2022); First Outing, Abingdon Studios, Blackpool (2021), and Air Diving, 16 Nicholson Street, Glasgow (2021).

Rabindranath X Bhose

Rabindranath X Bhose is an artist and writer based in Glasgow. He graduated from the School of the Damned D.I.Y. MFA in 2019. His work centres around sacred transness, spiritual transformation, and (healing from) trauma. Recent projects include In Touch, Embassy Gallery (2021) and group show Platform: 2020, Edinburgh Art Festival (2020).

We are excited to support these practitioners over the coming months. Some of the new works produced will be presented as public events, exhibitions, publications and workshops: watch this space!