This conveniently located exhibition places you right in the heart of Edinburgh if you so wish to venture off Campus and further into the historic city.
Image: Ulster Museum
Enjoy going to museums and art galleries? Is the looming presence of midterms getting you down? Wanting to escape cloudy Edinburgh? Well look no further, the National Gallery of Scotland’s exhibition ‘An Irish Impressionist, Lavery on Location’ can send your study blues away, transporting you to the vibrant world of impressionism.
During Freshers Week, my friends and I visited ‘Lavery on Location,’ having thoroughly enjoyed previous National Gallery exhibitions such as their celebration of the ground-breaking artist Grayson Perry. In a similar fashion, the Royal Scottish Academy sought to stage an exhibition celebrating the works of Lavery, mapping out his extensive travels.
Sir John Lavery was an Irish painter born in 1856, during a time of increased immigration and imperial expansion. From a young age, Lavery was eager to see the world and travel, emulated through his decision to study in Glasgow, London, and Paris. According to the National Gallery, Lavery is often referred to as the ‘Belfast-born Glasgow Boy.’ This nickname reflects Lavery’s affinity with the Glasgow Boys. The Glasgow Boys were a group of male artists active at the end of the 19th century, who focussed on depicting aspects of everyday life. Some of the big names you may recognise from the art world include James Guthrie, James McNeill Whistler and Jules Bastien-Lepage. Many of the Glasgow Boys enjoyed painting outdoors, and felt a strong connection to naturalism, painting the real world. This association gradually became a core part of Lavery’s identity and to learn more about the Glasgow Boys and Lavery in particular, I would highly recommend visiting the exhibition.
The exhibition itself is located on the mound and is conveniently opposite Princes Street, in case you fancy some light retail therapy. The Royal Scottish Academy is also connected to the National Gallery of Scotland which is free entry for all. So, if after visiting the exhibition your thirst for art and culture has not yet been satisfied, you can always visit the Academy which houses extensive collections of Scottish Art, Impressionism, and works from the Renaissance. This conveniently located exhibition places you right in the heart of Edinburgh if you so wish to venture off Campus and further into the historic city.
As you enter the exhibition, there is an introductory video introducing Lavery and explaining his life. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I find myself (rather impatiently) wanting to skip these videos and head straight into the exhibition. However in this case the introductory video provides important context about Lavery’s life from the perspective of curators such as the Senior Curator for the National Galleries of Scotland Frances Fowle, who is also a History of Art Professor at the University of Edinburgh.
The exhibition itself is well curated and spread out across seven different rooms, each focussing on either a specific time period or a theme of his life. One detail that captured my curiosity was how the colour of each room reflects the tone of the paintings on display. Lavery’s rich and vibrant paintings of North Africa are flattered by a deep burgundy red background hue. In contrast, Lavery’s earlier works of the French countryside which mirror the naturalism of the Glasgow Boys, are extenuated by a deep forest green.
We are immediately whisked away to the many interesting and faraway places Lavery visited, such as Morocco, the South of France and Florida. With each room comes a new adventure, whether that is perched by a river in Grez watching the boats go by (The Bridge at Grez, 1990), or standing marvelling at the twinkling evening lights in Tangier (Evening at Tangier, 1935.) A personal favourite of mine is The Blue Bay, Mr Churchill at the Riviera, 1921, where we are met with a cliff face scattered with trees arching over the shimmering dappled light of the Mediterranean Sea.
John Lavery, The Blue Bay, Mr Churchill at the Riviera, 1921. (Image Credit: Flora Gilchrist)
As well as creating striking landscapes, Lavery was appointed an official artist in light of the First World War. This title meant Lavery was commissioned to paint the horrors and triumphs of the weary war days. Lavery took this challenge in his stride, adapting the events to fit his own dream-like impressionist style. Daylight Raid from my Studio Window, July 1917, captures the moment German fighter planes circle over North London. Instead of depicting the harsh and unforgiving reality of the raids, Lavery stages the scene from inside a lavish townhouse full of rich red carpets and long blue curtains. The planes seem far away and a distant fantasy. Perhaps Lavery’s quote ‘I felt nothing of the stark reality [of war]… I saw only new beauties of colour and design,’ aids our understanding of this majestic work. Lavery wished to offer a wistful escape from the severe realities of war.
John Lavery, Daylight Raid from my Studio Window, July 1917. (Image Credit: Flora Gilchrist)
The final room returns us to sombre Edinburgh, with Lavery’s Princes Street Edinburgh and View of Edinburgh from the Castle setting the clouded mood as I wander out of the museum filled with wanderlust and a love for Lavery’s colourful souvenirs of pastures near and wide.
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