The Scottish Colourists: Cadell, Fergusson, Hunter, Peploe

by Roger Billcliffe

The Scottish Colourists are acclaimed as a group of painters of exceptional originality. The strong, emotive colours, fluent brushwork and sense of pattern marked their paintings as different from, and more advanced than, anything seen in Britain before the appearance of the Vorticists in 1914. The text sets out to confirm the reputation of these four painters, and to reassess their work in the context of 20th century British painting.

Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Roger Billcliffe is an art historian and trustee of the J.D. Fergusson Art Foundation.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some introductory written material, of a standard biographic/artistic influences sort, followed by a good number of plates of so-so quality. I assume the complete separation of the two was to save cost on paper and binding.

Nothing ground-breaking and the quality of the reproduction isn't such as to cause anyone to fall in love with the Colourists (the colors were oddly toned down), but fine if one needs an introduction ot the style or to look at a range of their paintings.

Covers just the four "official" Colourists as listed in the title, and not any other artists working in the same style.


"Closerie des lilas" is one of several Fergusson paintings featuring fellow artist Anne Estelle Rice, an American illustrator whom he met while she was in working in Paris.

Not really relevant to this book, but it did add a dimension to my concurrent reading of Five Red Herrings, a mystery which is set in a town (Kirkcudbright) often painted by these artists, and featuring as characters... a bunch of artists. ("In Kirkcudbright one either fishes or paints...." Sayers' remarked.)