24 June 2023 – 2 June 2024
City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Free Admission
As summer arrives, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre opens a brand new exhibition celebrating 250 years of Scottish landscape art.
Shifting Vistas: 250 Years of Scottish Landscape presents a fascinating selection of historic and contemporary artworks by over 30 different artists. Drawn from the City Art Centre’s renowned collection of Scottish art, the display features paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and sculpture. Showcased artists include Alexander Nasmyth, John Lavery, SJ Peploe, William Gillies, Joan Eardley, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Jon Schueler, Carol Rhodes, Victoria Crowe, Kate Downie, Ravi Agarwal and Ade Adesina.
For centuries, the Scottish landscape has provided artists with a potent source of inspiration. From scenes of mountains and forests to images of lochs and coastlines, the natural world has long attracted a range of creative responses. Urban views of towns and cities prompt equally varied interpretations, as artists explore how people have shaped their surroundings. Today our relationship with the landscape has taken on further significance, with environmental concerns over climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Shifting Vistas addresses this ever-evolving subject, with a diverse array of Scottish artworks tracing the development of landscape art from the 18th century to present day. Among the highlights are a stunning painting of Iona by the Scottish Colourist SJ Peploe, a windswept Catterline view by Joan Eardley, and a newly acquired and conserved mountain scene by James Lawton Wingate. There is a panoramic painting of Edinburgh by 18th century French artist William Delacour, one of the oldest surviving artefacts of its type. And, bringing the landscape theme up-to-date, there are striking examples of contemporary printmaking by Ade Adesina and Ravi Agarwal.
Curator Dr Helen Scott said:
Landscape means so many things to different people, whether it’s images of Scotland’s beautiful countryside, artworks that record the historical development of cities and towns, or pieces that explore how human activity impacts on our environment. Given the global climate crisis and concerns about the fragility of ecosystems, landscape is a more topical subject than ever – artists are increasingly compelled to respond.
I’m really looking forward to sharing this display with visitors – I think it includes something for everyone. There are artworks by popular favourites such as William McTaggart, John Lavery and William Gillies, but also works by lesser-known figures like Charles Oppenheimer, Francis McCracken and Thora Clyne. It’s particularly exciting to be including several landscapes that are new additions to the collection, on display at the City Art Centre for the very first time. These include a large-scale charcoal drawing of Edinburgh’s Granton waterfront by contemporary artist Kate Downie, and a pair of canvases painted in Mallaig in the 1970s by the abstract artist Jon Schueler.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said:
We are delighted to be hosting this exhibition on Scottish landscapes at the City Art Centre. This exhibition celebrates the beauty and diversity of Scotland through the unique perspectives and artistic visions of various artists inviting us all to connect with the works.
Landscape art has a rich history and as we look back over 250 years, visitors can explore this special selection of historic and contemporary works and range of landscapes depicted in various media. Drawn from our permanent collection of fine art, the exhibition also features several recent additions to the collection, on display for the very first time.
Shifting Vistas: 250 Years of Scottish Landscape is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2023.