JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) BUSY DAY, PRINCES STREET Oil on panel 23cm x 15cm (9in x 6in) Private Collection, New ZealandBourne Fine Art, EdinburghProfessors Sir Kenneth and Lady Noreen MurraySold by the Executors of the above to benefit The Darwin Trust of Edinburgh, Bonhams Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale, 15 April 2014, lot 9 (as ‘A Busy Day, Princes Street, Edinburgh’)Exhibited: Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh, Scottish Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: McTaggart to Fergusson, 1988, no.32 Busy Day, Princes Street is an exceptional example of the intimate scenes that the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson painted of Edinburgh’s main thoroughfare in the early 1900s.Born in Leith, near Edinburgh, Fergusson rejected the conservative training available at the Trustees’ Academy in the Scottish capital and was essentially self-taught apart from sporadic attendances at the Académies Colarossi and Julian in Paris. Fergusson exhibited his work for the first time in 1897, in the Royal Scottish Academy’s Annual Exhibition and by 1902 was established in his first studio, at 16 Picardy Place. It is a short walk from the scene depicted in the present painting, of the east end of Princes Street.As Alice Strang has explained: ‘During this period he was a familiar figure in Princes Street Gardens where he painted swiftly and spontaneously in the French plein-air manner, on small panels.’ (Alice Strang et al, J. D. Fergusson, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2013, p.15) This work, on a panel measuring 9 by 6 inches, is unusually large and ambitious compared to Fergusson’s more usual supports of the time of 5 by 4 inches. A cigar box that he converted to a portable paint box, with cut down brushes and the lid doubling as his palette, could fit into his coat pocket. This gave him the freedom to work outdoors and to record scenes as and when they caught his eye.In this instance, the bustle of city life is captured at the junction of Princes Street, Waterloo Place and Leith Street. The scene is recognisable today, with General Register House on the left, which is the repository for the National Records of Scotland, whilst the distinctive façade of 1 Waterloo Place, designed by Archibald Elliot and built in 1819, is on the right. Fergusson’s dashing, thickly-laden brushstrokes convey the energy of an elegant capital city and its citizens. Examples of his Princes Street paintings are held in the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland and Culture Perth and Kinross.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) THE COAST AT NIGHT Oil on board 13cm x 11cm (5in x 4.5in) We are grateful to Roger Billcliffe who suggests this picture was painted in Spain and dates from c.1901.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) MIDDAY, PEEBLES Signed, titled, inscribed ‘Peebles’ and dated 1902 on the backboard verso, oil on board 18.5cm x 23cm (7.25in x 9in) John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) THE HAYSTACKS Inscribed with title to label verso, oil on card 11cm x 13.5cm (4.25in x 5.25in) Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow This work has been dated to c.1902.John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) BATHER DESCENDING A STAIRCASE Watercolour 23.5cm x 19cm (9.25in x 7.5in) Ewan Mundy Fine Art Ltd, Glasgow John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) LA FRANCAISE Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Paris, June 14, 1931’ verso, with Artist's original label, oil on board 35cm x 27cm (13.75in x 10.5in) John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) LA PARISIENNE (YVONNE DAVIDSON) Mixed media on paper 23cm x 18cm (9in x 7in) Margaret Morris Fergusson, the Artist's WifeThe Fine Art Society Ltd., 1981 (16006)Private Collection, JerseyExhibited:Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, London, J. D. Fergusson: The Scottish Colourist, 22 June - 8 July 2011, no.21 This work has been dated to 1909.John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) AFTER DINNNER SPEAKER Gouache, watercolour and brush and ink on paper 36cm x 28cm (14in x 11in) Margaret Morris Fergusson, the Artist's wifeBarclay Lennie Fine Art Limited, Glasgow, 1985 (CVII)Exhibited:Ewan Mundy Fine Art, Glasgow, July 1991Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, London, J. D. Fergusson: The Scottish Colourist, 22 June - 8 July 2011, no.37Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, The Scottish Colourists Series: J. D. Fergusson, 7 December 2013 - 15 June 2014 This work has been dated to c.1908.John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) SUNLIGHT IN THE WOODS, PEEBLES Signed, titled and dated 1903 verso, oil on board 23cm x 18cm (9in x 7in) John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) PLACE DE L’OBSERVATOIRE, 1907 Signed, inscribed and dated ‘J. D. Fergusson / Paris 1907’ verso, oil on canvas board 19cm x 24cm (7.5in x 9.5in) Dr Jim Thomas Rankin Ritchie (1908-98), Edinburgh and thence by descent to the present ownerOn loan to the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh 2001-2025Exhibited:Annan Gallery (T. & R. Annan & Sons Ltd), Glasgow, John Duncan Fergusson: Paintings 1898-1957, 7 May – 1 June 1957, no.33, £40Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, The Scottish Colourists: Works from the Dr Ritchie Collection, 27 September 1997 – 11 January 1998, no.16Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, The Intimate Colourist, 27 March - 14 November 2010Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, The Scottish Colourists Series: John Duncan Fergusson, 7 December 2013 – 15 June 2014 and tour to Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, 5 July -19 October 2014 Place de l’Observatoire by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson is a gem of a painting from a celebrated series of street scenes that he made after moving to Paris in 1907. It formerly belonged to the important collector Dr Jim Thomas Rankin Ritchie (1908-98) of Edinburgh and was on loan to the National Galleries of Scotland from 2001 until 2025.Born in Leith near Edinburgh, Fergusson settled in the French capital following the start of his relationship with the American artist Anne Estelle Rice (1877-1959). He declared ‘Paris is simply a place of freedom’ and rented a studio in Montparnasse, the renowned artists’ quarter. As seen in Place de l’Observatoire, Fergusson became swept up in the inspiration of Paris’s pre-First World War art world, as he absorbed and evolved the latest developments in the works of artists including Pablo Picasso, André Derain and Henri Matisse. The present work and its fellows were painted spontaneously, in situ, as Fergusson gloried in his new surroundings; those seen here depict an area near the Observatory founded by Louis XIV in 1667 on the Left Bank of the Seine.Deft brushstrokes outline people, trees, buildings and street furniture, such as the anchoring lamp post on the right of the composition. Highlights of colour including the blue of the full-length dress of the woman at the centre of the image, provide rhythm across the work’s surface. The leaves which enter from the upper right partner with the depth of view realised behind them to create a sophisticated perspective in which buildings are seen from the side as well as straight on, whilst the scene is illuminated throughout by the idyllic blue sky. Passages such as the short strokes of green at the far left and the suggestion of foliage across a mid-vertical, verge on the abstract, revealing Fergusson’s newfound confidence and innovative approach to his work. This was to result in his election as a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in 1909, in recognition of his contribution to the modern movement.Jim Ritchie was a teacher, writer and film-maker. He began collecting in 1928 when he visited Fergusson’s solo exhibition at Alex. Reid & Lefèvre in Glasgow and purchased several works directly from the artist. Their relationship developed, not least as related in a story enjoyed by friends and family alike about how:“…having skipped school because of a migraine, his mother hoping that art might allay it, told him of a sale of pictures in Glasgow and he duly attended. When leaving the saleroom with his purchases tucked under his arm, J. D. Fergusson stopped him and asked what he had bought and on seeing all four of his works, remarked, ‘that’s a very good one, that’s a very good one, that’s a very good one, and that’s a very good one’…[Ritchie’s mother]…was more succinct in her remark to her son about his extravagance, ‘for goodness sake, dinnae take another heidache’.” (Margaret Longstaff, ‘Reflections from the Golden City’, Scottish Book Collector, vol. 6, no.8, 1998, p.26)From this starting point Ritchie amassed a distinguished collection of modern Scottish art, including examples by Fergusson’s fellow Scottish Colourists F. C. B. Cadell and S. J. Peploe and Fergusson’s wife Margaret Morris, as well as many other leading artists of the twentieth-century including John Bellany, Elizabeth Blackadder, Robert Colquhoun, Joan Eardley, William Gillies, Robert MacBryde, William MacTaggart and Robin Philipson. It is thought that Ritchie acquired Place de l’Observatoire when it was included in Fergusson’s last lifetime solo exhibition, held at the Annan Gallery, Glasgow in 1957. It consisted of 43 paintings, covering the artist’s career from Tandstickers (Toothpicks) of 1898 to the recently completed Fruit and Flowers at ‘La Fauvette’ of 1957. Place de l’Observatoire was number 33 and can be seen in installation photographs of the exhibition, held in the Fergusson Archive of Culture Perth & Kinross. It was presented in a similar, if not the same, frame as it is currently, as part of an arrangement of six paintings, including the related Boulevard Raspail of 1907, A Pink Rose of 1902 and images of Royan and Cassis.The exhibition was opened by the Right Hon. Lord Boyd Orr of Brechin. In his speech he stated: “I hope before the end of June most of the paintings will be sold and that people will be feeling happier and healthier at having seen them. I am sure that it is very good for their mental health and can have nothing but continual good for the enjoyment of life.” (Typescript of Speech by the Right Hon. Lord Boyd Orr, Paintings 1898-1957, Fergusson Archive, Culture Perth & Kinross)The Scotsman’s review of the exhibition described Fergusson as ‘the Scottish doyen of modern art’ and explained:“For the most part these pictures, which have been brought from the artist’s private collection and have a certain sentimental value, are mainly representational in style…The smaller paintings done in Paris and the South of France before the First World War make a most interesting collection. The harmonious hanging of the show is not chronological in order, but aims at grouping contrasting and kindred subjects that please the eye, and at the same time bring out the artist's love of colour…For the most part the artist has concentrated on joyous reflections of summer days in the city, the country, or at the seaside, and to all of these he imparts his own distinctive personality. The viewer gets to know his style and for confirmation finds the artist's signature on the back of the picture.” (The Scotsman, 7 May 1957)From 1997 to 1998 the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art held an exhibition of Scottish Colourist works from Dr Ritchie’s collection. After his death the following year, The Blue Fan by Cadell was bequeathed to the National Galleries of Scotland (acc.no.GMA 4290). Place de l’Observatoire was on long-loan to the Galleries from 2001 until 2025 and was included in many collection displays, including The Intimate Colourist of 2010, as well as the touring Fergusson retrospective exhibition of 2013 to 2014. Other Parisian street scenes from the series can be found in the collections of Culture Perth & Kinross, the Royal Academy of Music, London and Manchester Art Gallery.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) HEAD OF A YOUNG WOMAN Oil on panel 33cm x 25.5cm (13in x 10in) This work dates from 1914.John Duncan Fergusson was the Scottish Colourist with the most significant international reputation. He lived most of his adult life in Paris and London, before moving to Glasgow on the outbreak of the Second World War. His first solo exhibition was held in the English capital in 1906; he was elected a Sociétaire of the progressive Salon d’Automne in the French capital in 1909; and was represented in the Venice Biennale four times, beginning in 1909. He had two solo exhibitions in New York and another in Chicago and in 1931 one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection.The group of works presented here span some three decades of his long and prolific career, from the period when he first established himself in a studio at 16 Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 1902, to the thrill of moving to Paris in 1907 and the dramatic development of his practice thereafter. Also represented is his period in London, following the start of the First World War, as well as the idyllic months spent in the south of France during the Summer Schools held by his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris, and his happy return to Paris from 1929 to 1939.Sunlight in the Woods, Peebles, Midday, Peebles and The Haystacks date from the beginning of Fergusson’s career. Having spurned the traditional training available at the Trustees’ School of Art in Edinburgh, he determined to educate himself, including during spells at the Académies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. These three small-scale works are typical of those he painted in the French en plein air manner, responding directly to the rural scenes before him.Place de l’Observatoire comes from a celebrated series of street scenes that Fergusson created following his move to the French capital in 1907. His use of brilliant colour and a freer technique heralded his emergence as a progressive artist. After Dinner Speaker reveals his enjoyment of Parisian café and restaurant society, whose elegant clientele he captured in sketches and more developed observational images, sometimes infused with humour, as seen here.The sitter for La Parisienne, is believed to be the haute couture businesswoman Yvonne de Kerstratt, who was a key member of Fergusson’s circle in pre-First World War Paris. He recalled of this period:“This was the life I had always wanted and often talked about. We were a very happy group: Anne [Estelle] Rice; Jo Davidson; Harry and Bill MacCall, Yvonne and [her brother] Louis de Kerstratt; Roffy the poet; La Torrie, mathematician and aviator…S. J. [Peploe]…said these were some of the greatest nights of his life. They were the greatest nights in anyone’s life.” (J. D. Fergusson, ‘Memories of Peploe’, The Scottish Art Review, vol.VIII, no.3, 1962, p.31)Yvonne sat for Fergusson on several occasions, including for The Blue Hat, Closerie des Lilas of 1909, now in the collection of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no.CAC1962/2) and became the sculptor Jo Davidson’s first wife. La Parisienne reveals the extraordinary progression of Fergusson’s work once he was experiencing the latest developments in French art at first hand. The flattening and simplification of form, the black outlining and the contrast of bright red and blue show an in-depth exploration of the work of avant-garde artists such as Kees van Dongen and Auguste Chabaud. Fergusson moved to London in 1914 and it was during that year that he created a series of portrait heads including Head of a Young Woman. Always drawn to feminine beauty and strength, Fergusson combines a sheer attractiveness of facial features with a sculptural approach to the sitter’s hair and neck in a way that can be linked to his celebrated sculpture Eástre (Hymn to the Sun) of 1924. In contrast, a more voluptuous approach to the female form is taken in Bather Descending a Staircase. Fergusson, Morris and her dance pupils enjoyed the climate of the south of France, sunbathing and swimming in the sea. This sense of well-being is conveyed in a rhythmical watercolour full of the warmth and sunshine of the region.The group concludes with La Française, painted in 1931, two years after Fergusson had moved from London to Paris. Here one can sense the arabesques of the Art Deco movement in an image of refinement and beauty. Eight years later, Fergusson and Morris moved to Glasgow, where they did much to galvanise the local art scene. Fergusson died in the city in 1961, recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
John Duncan Fergusson RBA (British, 1874-1961) The Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, c. 1941 bears inscription and date 'Botanic Gardens Glasgow 1941' (on the reverse) pastel 12 x 20cm (4 3/4 x 7 7/8in).
John Duncan Fergusson RBA (British, 1874-1961) Figure study and teacup, Paris, c. 1913 bears inscription with title and date (on the reverse) conté 19 x 12.5cm (7 1/2 x 4 15/16in).
John Duncan Fergusson RBA (British, 1874-1961) Harlech, c. 1921 bears inscription with title and date (on the reverse) watercolour 17.5 x 11cm (6 7/8 x 4 5/16in).
λ JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON (SCOTTISH 1874-1961)CASSIS, ON THE BEACH, LA GAROUPEPencil Titled and dated 1913 (verso) 16 x 20.5cm (6¼ x 8 in.)Provenance:Margaret Morris Fergusson, Private CollectionSale, Sotheby's, Scottish Art, 22 November 2016, lot 33
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) GOAT, 1921 (CAST 1991) Bronze, numbered 10/10 10.5cm x 7.5cm x 5.5cm (4in x 3in x 2in) Acquired from the J. D. Fergusson Art Foundation in 1991 and thence by descent to the present owner John Duncan Fergusson is the only one of the four artists known as the Scottish Colourists – along with F. C. B. Cadell, Leslie Hunter and S. J. Peploe – to have worked in three dimensions. Indeed, he made sculpture over some 50 years, with his first created in Paris in 1908 and the last thought to date from about 1955. The importance of this aspect of Fergusson’s practice is clear in the inclusion of sculptures in many of his exhibitions between 1912 and 1948.Goat comes from Fergusson’s most productive period of sculpture-making, the years approximately 1918 to 1922, when he was based in London. It was inspired by a distinctive breed of goat owned by the businessman George Davison, who was a major patron to Fergusson and his partner, the dance pioneer Margaret Morris. Morris’s Summer School of 1919 was held at Davison’s home, Wern Fawr, in Harlech, north Wales and she recalled: ‘For Fergus, the outstanding feature of the…Summer School at Harlech was the goats that G. D. [sic] had recently acquired. They were mountain goats, used to living and breeding among rocky crags…They jumped from rock to rock completely sure-footed. What fascinated Fergus [sic] was the way their hair grew…it was long but stood out in frills round their legs like trousers. Fergus made endless drawings of them but said they must be done as sculpture, so when back in London he got a lump of plasticine and…carved it into a goat he called Trousers and got it cast in brass. Later he had it enlarged for exhibition.’ (Margaret Morris, The Art of J. D. Fergusson: A Biased Biography, J. D. Fergusson Art Foundation, Perth, 2010, pp.128-129).Due to the cost of having sculptures cast, Fergusson would often exhibit plaster versions of them, with a note that the purchase price included foundry fees. Neither he nor Morris kept extant records of the piecemeal and sometimes posthumous casting of his sculptures but a plaster and brass version of Goat, at 21.5cm high, are in the collection of Perth Art Gallery, presented by the J. D. Fergusson Art Foundation in 1991. The Foundation was established by Morris in 1963, two years after Fergusson’s death, partly to secure and promote Fergusson’s legacy. Also in 1991, an unnumbered edition of ten casts of Goat, at a height of 10.5cm, was cast under the Foundation’s authority, from which the present work is number ten.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) RECLINING NUDE, LA PETITE FARANDOLE, CAP D'ANTIBES (MARGARET MORRIS) Charcoal on buff paper 14cm x 20cm (5.5in x 8in) Christie's Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale, 1 November 2001, lot 106 (as ‘Margaret Morris, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes')Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) WOMAN BATHING, CHÂTEAU DES ENFANTS, EDEN ROC, CAP D'ANTIBES (MARGARET MORRIS, THE JUMP) Watercolour 24cm x 18cm (9.5in x 7in) Christie's Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale, 1 November 2001, lot 103 (as ‘Meg Bathing, Château des Enfants, Eden Roc, Cap d’Antibes')Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) NUDE SEATED ON A BALCONY Charcoal on buff paper 33cm x 25.5cm (13in x 10in) Christie's Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale, 31st October 2002, lot 141Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) STANDING NUDES Charcoal and watercolour 20cm x 13cm (8in x 5in) Phillips, Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale: Made in Scotland, 25 August 2001, lot 1154Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) BATHERS AT EDEN ROC Inscribed with colour notes, pencil and watercolour 21cm x 16cm (8.25in x 6.25in) Phillips, Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale: Made in Scotland, 25 August 2001, lot 1141Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) CAP D'ANTIBES Watercolour 23cm x 18cm (9in x 7in) Abbott & Holder, London, 1992 The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) IN THE GARDEN Inscribed with colour notes, pencil and watercolour 21cm x 15cm (8.25in x 6in) The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) WOMAN BATHING, CHÂTEAU DES ENFANTS, EDEN ROC, CAP D'ANTIBES (MARGARET MORRIS, PREPARING TO JUMP) Watercolour 24cm x 19cm (9.5in x 7.5in) Christie's Edinburgh, The Scottish Sale, 1 November 2001, lot 103 (as ‘Meg Bathing, Château des Enfants, Eden Roc, Cap d’Antibes') Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) WOMAN WALKING, CAP D'ANTIBES (MARGARET MORRIS) Charcoal and watercolour 17cm x 11.5cm (6.75in x 4.5in) Sotheby's Hopetoun House, Scottish Pictures, 19 April 2004, lot 77 (as ‘Meg, Cap d’Antibes')Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) PALM TREES, CAP D'ANTIBES Inscribed with colour notes, charcoal and watercolour 17.5cm x 12cm (7in x 4.75in) Sotheby's Hopetoun House, Scottish Pictures, 19 April 2004, lot 77 Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE AND HIS WIFE MARGARET MACKAY WALKING IN LUXEMBOURG GARDENS Charcoal 20.5cm x 16.5cm (8in x 6.5in) Sotheby's Hopetoun House, Fine Paintings, 15 April 2002, lot 163Private Collection, Scotland The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) DANCER Charcoal 26.5cm x 16.5cm (10.5in x 6.5in) The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
JOHN DUNCAN FERGUSSON R.B.A. (SCOTTISH 1874-1961) MADEMOISELLE 'E' Conté 20.5cm x 12cm (8in x 4.75in) Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, London and thence by descent to the present owner The works on paper by the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson presented here show his skill and enjoyment of the drawn line and the brushed stroke, in drawings and watercolours that cover subjects from chic Parisians to sunworshippers and sensual nudes.Mademoiselle E is an example of the elegant women who caught Fergusson’s eye, often in cafés, whilst he was living in the French capital between 1907 and 1913. Rarely without a sketchbook and a conté pencil or two in his pocket, he would sketch at speed to capture key facial features and elements such as a fashionable hat, by which to conjure up a character on the page. Samuel John Peploe and his Wife Margaret Mackay Walking in the Luxembourg Gardens is a testament to Fergusson’s great friendship with his fellow Colourist. Peploe and Margaret joined him in Paris between 1910 and 1912, where - according to Fergusson - Peploe declared that they had ‘some of the greatest nights of his life’.Fergusson left Paris in 1913 for the Cap d’Antibes, thus beginning a lifelong love of the area in the south of France. This affection was shared by his future wife, the dance pioneer Margaret ‘Meg’ Morris after she visited him there that Christmas. Her celebrated summer schools were held in Antibes on multiple occasions from 1923 and these happy, carefree months spent mainly outdoors were captured in watercolours such as The Red Belt, A Couple and Bathers at Eden Roc. A full and frank appreciation of the female form is clear in works including Standing Nudes, Nude Seated on a Balcony and Reclining Nude, La Petite Farandole, Cap d’Antibes (Margaret Morris). A more nuanced admiration for feminine beauty can be seen in In the Garden, which, along with Palm Trees, Cap d’Antibes, bears colour notes to inform future works. Throughout this group, one is aware of the artist’s touch upon his paper, whether applied through a pencil or a brush, creating intimate works which bring us to the heart of Fergusson’s creative process. Through works on paper such as these, he communicated feelings not only of friendship and love, but also an overall joie de vivre which characterises his oeuvre as a whole.
