John Duncan Fergusson, renowned Scottish colourist, is the focus of a new exhibition in Glasgow centre celebrating 150 years since his birth

A new exhibition celebrating one of Scotland’s most renowned Colourists, John Duncan Fergusson has opened today in Glasgow.

A selection of his best known works have been curated as part of the special new exhibition in the city where he lived out his final years.

Hosted at the Lyon & Turnbull Gallery on Bath Street, Glasgow, the fine art auctioneers have brought together a special touring exhibition of Fergusson’s paintings and sculptures named A Scottish Colourist at 150: J.D. Fergusson, in partnership with the London-based Fleming Wyfold Art Foundation.

One of the largest names in the Scottish Colourist movement — along with artists such as Samuel Peploe, GL Hunter and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell — Fergusson was instrumental in breathing new life into the Scottish art scene of his time.

Vibrantly brought to life by rhymthic, free brushwork, his pieces continue to captivate and inspire to this day. Co-curator of the exhibition, Alice Strang, notes that Fergusson’s impact on the art world, can’t be overstated: “Fergusson was born at the height of the Victorian era and died as the decade known as the ‘Swinging Sixties’ was getting underway. More than any other British artist, he was involved in the very birth of modern Western art in pre-World War One Paris and his international career included three solo exhibitions in America.

“He spent long periods living in Paris and London and played an important role in the Scottish art world after World War Two from his base in Glasgow.

“The works on display follow Fergusson’s emergence as an artist of sophistication in Edwardian Edinburgh, to his role in the development of modern art in Paris, to the inspiration he found in the Scottish Highlands and the joy of portraying the pupils of Morris’s dance Summer Schools held in France from the 1920s to the 1950s.

“A selection of sculptures reveal Fergusson’s lesser-known talents as the only sculptor amongst the Colourists, led by the celebrated Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924.”

When and where can I see the exhibition?

A Scottish Colourist at 150: J.D. Fergusson can be viewed now at Lyon & Turnbull’s Gallery on Bath Street, Glasgow until Friday 22 March, Mondays to Saturdays, 10:00 to 16.00 (by appointment).