Walls of colour
Rare chance to see Hunter’s work under one roof
THE colourful career of a great Scottish artist will be marked with the biggest exhibition in half a century.
Two floors of the Council’s City Art Centre are being dedicated to the display of around 80 drawings, prints, watercolours and oil paintings by Scots-born George Leslie Hunter.
Hunter (1877-1931) was one of the Scottish Colourists. His works are characterised by the use of light and colour. They focus mainly on landscapes and still-lifes, with his bowls of fruit being a particularly distinctive aspect of his work.
The son of a chemist, Hunter was born in Rothesay, emigrating to California with his family in 1892.
When his family returned to Scotland some years later, he remained in America, joining San Francisco’s bohemian community.
He worked as an illustrator, but his painting was inspired by a trip to Paris where he saw exhibitions by Gauguin and Cézanne.
Hunter’s first solo exhibition was thwarted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The resulting fire destroyed all of his work. Penniless, he returned to Scotland, with brief spells in London and the continent.
After the First World War, his work started to gain in popularity, culminating in a major London exhibition alongside his fellow Scottish Colourists in 1925.
Years of self-neglect and an eccentric lifestyle had taken its toll on the painter’s physical and mental health. After ignoring stomach pains he underwent an unsuccessful operation and died in Glasgow in 1931, aged just 54.
Hunter was commended by art critics in his lifetime and his paintings are still popular, with one making more than £430,000 at auction in 2009.
Head of culture and sport Lynne Halfpenny said the City Art Centre was delighted to host the exhibition.
She said: “We know there is a real appetite among Scots and visitors alike for the work of Scottish artists. Hunter’s work is particularly distinctive and colourful but there has been little opportunity to see so much of it under one roof until now.”
Win tickets to the show!
A FEAST of colour and Scottish cuisine are there to be won for lucky Outlook readers.
We are offering two tickets to “A Life in Colour” and a three course lunch for two at the Angels with Bagpipes restaurant on the Royal Mile.
Described as the sort of romantic Edinburgh restaurant where Rabbie Burns might take Sofia Loren, Angels with Bagpipes opened in 2010 and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top Scottish restaurants.
For four runners up, there is also a ticket for two to the show, and a bottle of wine at the restaurant.
To be in with a chance to win, simply answer this question:
Which American city did George Leslie Hunter make his home?
Send your entry to ‘A life in colour competition’, Edinburgh Outlook, Level 2.1, Waverley Court, East Market Street, Edinburgh EH 8 8BG or e-mail your answer to edinburgh.outlook@edinburgh.gov.uk with ‘A life in Colour Competition’ in the subject line.
Whether you enter by post or e-mail, be sure to include your name, address and telephone number along with your answer.