The Glasgow Boys
Presenting our first talk of 2025 is Dr Keith Parsons. Dr Parsons s a retired research scientist with an interest in both history and art. He currently serves as Secretary of Chiseldon Local History Group and is active in Swindon U3A. And he’s going to talk to us about The Glasgow Boys.
The Glasgow Boys were a group of Scottish based artists who made a big splash in the art world of the 1880s with their challenge to the art establishment and adoption of the new “realistic” style.
This talk will explore who they were, who influenced them and their impact on Scottish art. Dr Parsons will illustrate his talk with examples of some of their works, together with their influences, put in the context of the art world of their time.
We will finish with information on where you can see their works displayed today.
The Glasgow Boys – The picture is “To Pastures New” by James Guthrie.
More about this group of artists
The National Galleries of Scotland has this to say about this group of artists:
‘… They represent the beginnings of modernism in Scottish painting. In the early 1880s, united by their disillusionment with academic painting, they painted contemporary rural subjects. They often worked out of doors sketching and painting directly in front of their subject.
They were strongly influenced by the realism of Dutch and French art. In particular the Naturalist paintings of Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848 – 1884). And also by the tonal painting of the American artist James McNeill Whistler (1834 – 1903).
The leaders of the group included James Guthrie (1859-1930) – mostly self-taught. And the Irish-born John Lavery (1856-1941). He, like many of his contemporaries, trained in Paris and worked at the artists’ colony of Grez-sur-Loing. Based in and around Glasgow, the artists exchanged ideas in the Bath Street studio of William York Macgregor (1855-1923). Or through working in groups at Cockburnspath (Berwickshire) and Kirkcudbright.
Location etc
The talk will take place in the council chamber in the civic offices on Euclid Street. Admission is £6 for members of the Friends and £8 for non-members.
See our full talks programme here: https://friendsofmas.org/events/categories/talks/
Date/Time
Date(s) - 30/01/2025
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Categories
