Scottish 1920s art cast in new light
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre marks its official public re-opening on 12 September with a new exhibition exploring the work of Scottish artists during the 1920s – an evocative period of social, political and economic change.
Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s is timed to mark
100 years since the dawn of the ‘Roaring Twenties’. The exhibition showcases over 35 artworks selected from the City Art Centre’s own collection of fine art, including oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, etchings and sculptures. Featured artists include D.Y. Cameron, Stanley Cursiter, Dorothy Johnstone, William McCance, Eric Robertson and William Wilson, as well as the Scottish Colourists S.J. Peploe and J.D. Fergusson.
For many, the 1920s is an era that conjures up images of Art Deco design, jazz music and flapper dresses. Yet this is only one side of the story. It was a decade of contrasts: high spirits interwoven with sombre contemplation, and grand aspirations tempered by hard realities. Some people reflected on the recent losses of the First World War, while others looked forward to an age of new possibilities and opportunities. Scottish artists experienced these contrasts firsthand, and responded to them in a variety of ways.
One of the highlights of the
George Henry - The Chalk Pit 1922 (CAC) show is the painting Cecile Walton at Crianlarich (1920) by Eric Robertson. This striking portrait of the artist Cecile Walton is a brand-new addition to the City
Art Centre’s collection. It arrived in late 2019 as a long-term loan from a private collector, and goes on public display for the first time as part of Bright Shadows. The exhibition will also feature A Garment of War (c.1926) by D.Y Cameron, which is being shown for the first time since recent conservation work to restore the painting to its original splendour.
Bright Shadows shines a light on this fascinating period, exploring the styles, ideas and events that shaped artistic practice in Scotland. The exhibition brings together work by a range of artists, from mature figures like George Henry and S.J. Peploe who were already well-recognised and celebrated, to younger talents like William Johnstone and James McIntosh Patrick who were just beginning to forge their own creative paths.
Curator Dr Helen Scott said: ‘People often think they know the 1920s, as a golden age of jazz music, Art Deco fashion and Bright Young Things. But it wasn’t all hedonism and decadent excess. It was a complex period of great social, political and economic change – all of which had a significant bearing on art and artists in Scotland. I’m really looking forward to sharing these wonderful artworks with our visitors, as museums and galleries begin to reopen after lockdown."