Short Course: Light of the North – Art in Scotland and Beyond

This course is unfortunately no longer able to go ahead – we're sorry for any disappointment, you can view all our upcoming events and workshops here

Three sessions on the role of the Scottish Colourists, looking at their inspirations, their contemporaries, and their influences on art.

Are you interested in 20th century art? This course will provide an opportunity for you to develop confidence in understanding the work of the Scottish Colourists in the context of British and European art.

The term "Scottish Colourists" refers to a quartet of Scottish painters: Samuel John Peploe, Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, G.L. Hunter, and John Duncan Fergusson. These artists were considered avant-garde during their time, injecting the Scottish art scene with the vibrant and innovative colors reminiscent of the French Fauvist movement. Despite the name suggesting a close-knit artistic circle in Scotland, they were not a tightly bound collective with a specific agenda. They only exhibited their work together on three occasions during their lifetimes.

The formal association of these artists as the Scottish Colourists did not occur until 1950. This recognition was initially spearheaded by art historian T.J. Honeyman in his book "Three Scottish Colourists," published in 1950. Honeyman's work brought Peploe, Cadell, and Hunter under the umbrella of the Scottish Colourists. By the 1980s, the group had expanded its scope to include Fergusson.

We will look at the role of the Scottish Colourists in early twentieth-century art, who they were inspired by and their influences on art and artists in Scotland and beyond. This short course is delivered in partnership with Sheffield Museums and includes a complementary tour of the current exhibition Colour and Light: Scottish Colourists from the Fleming Collection at the Graves Gallery in Sheffield.

Held in the Graves Gallery (first session) then Millennium Gallery (sessions 2 & 3)