Craigie Aitchison (painter)
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John Ronald Craigie Aitchison
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
RSA RA (13 January 192621 December 2009) was a Scottish painter. He was best known for his many paintings of the
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
, one of which hangs behind the altar in the
chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...
of
Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...
, Italian landscapes, and portraits (mainly of black men, or of dogs). His simple style with bright, childlike colours defied description, and was compared to the
Scottish Colourists The Scottish Colourists were a group of four painters, three from Edinburgh, whose Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist work, though not universally recognised initially, came to have a formative influence on contemporary Scottish art and cultur ...
, primitivists or
naive art Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of Deontology, moral idealism. A ''na ...
ists, although
Brian Sewell Brian Alfred Christopher Bushell Sewell (; 15 July 1931 – 19 September 2015) was an English art critic. He wrote for the ''Evening Standard'' and had an acerbic view of conceptual art and the Turner Prize. ''The Guardian'' described him as ...
dismissed him as "a painter of too considered trifles". His career-long fascination with the crucifixion was triggered by a visit to see
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...
's '' Christ of St John of the Cross'' in 1951 after it was acquired by the Kelvingrove Gallery.


Early life and education

Aitchison was born in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, the son of the lawyer, politician and judge Craigie Mason Aitchison.The British Council: Craigie Aitchison
His grandfather, Reverend James Aitchison, was minister at the United Free Church Erskine Kirk in
Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
. Aitchison was educated at
Loretto School Loretto School, founded in 1827, is an independent school (UK), independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. History The school was founded by the Reverend Th ...
,
Musselburgh Musselburgh (; ; ) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It had a population of as of . History The name Musselburgh is Old English language, Old English in ...
, East Lothian until the death of his father in 1941 and then at home by private tutors. His mother, Lady Aitchison, played international
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
.Gardner, Anthony. ''Is the painter of crucifixions and Bedlington Terriers a visionary or just an eccentric?'' ''The Telegraph Magazine'', 2003. https://www.anthonygardner.co.uk/interviews_pdfs/craigie_aitchison.pdf. Retrieved 22 December 2009. Her family owned
Tulliallan Tulliallan (Gaelic ''tulach-aluinn'', 'Beautiful knoll') was an estate in Perthshire, Scotland, near to Kincardine-on-Forth, Kincardine, and a Civil parishes in Scotland, parish. The Clan Blackadder, Blackadder lairds of Tulliallan, a branch of ...
, an estate in
Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...
, where Aitchison did some of his first landscape painting. He was rejected for military service in the Second World War on medical grounds. He studied law at
Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...
from 1944 to 1946, and at the
Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
in London in 1948, before changing career. He returned to Edinburgh in 1950 to practise painting in a converted mews house in Church Lane, and then studied at the
Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...
in London from 1952 to 1954 under
William Coldstream Sir William Menzies Coldstream, CBE (28 February 1908 – 18 February 1987) was an English realist painter and a long-standing art teacher. Biography Coldstream was born at Belford, Northumberland, in northern England, the second son of co ...
and Robert Medley. Aitchison won a prize for the best still life his second year. Fellow students included Michael Andrews, Tony Pacitti, Philip Sutton,
Victor Willing Victor Arthur James Willing (15 January 1928 – 1 June 1988) was a British painter, noted for his original nude studies. He was a friend and colleague of many notable artists, including Elisabeth Frink, Michael Andrews and Francis Bacon. He ...
,
Paula Rego Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego (: 26 January 1935 – 8 June 2022) was a Portuguese visual artist, widely considered the pre-eminent woman artist of the late 20th and early 21st century, known particularly for her paintings and prints based o ...
, Myles Murphy and
Euan Uglow Euan Ernest Richard Uglow (10 March 1932 – 31 August 2000) was a British painter. He is best known for his nude and still life paintings, such as ''German Girl'' and ''Skull''. Born in London, he studied at the Camberwell School of Art. His i ...
. Aitchison remained friends with Uglow, and was best man at his wedding. Aitchison was awarded a
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
scholarship in 1955 to study in Italy. He toured the country, and was influenced by early Italian painting, particularly
Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
. He returned to Scotland, but moved to
Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...
in London in 1963.


Career


Early work

Aitchison was one of "Six Young Contemporaries" at an exhibition at the Gimpel Fils gallery in 1954. His first solo exhibition was held at the
Beaux Arts Gallery Beaux Arts Gallery was a gallery at 1 Bruton Place, London, England. It was known as a preeminent center for promoting avant-garde art until its closure in 1965. Founded and operated by portrait sculptor Frederick Lessore in 1923, the gallery wa ...
in London in 1959, and he held further solo exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom. He exhibited at Marlborough Fine Art in London in 1968. He was a part-time teacher at the
Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art and design university in London, England. It offers further and higher education courses in fine art, graphic design, interior design, produ ...
from 1968 to 1984. His paintings were included in many group shows around the world from 1964, and in three retrospective exhibitions.Royal Academy: Craigie Aitchison
/ref>


Mature work

Aitchison became an Associate of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
in 1978, and was elected as one of the 80 Members of the Royal Academy (or ''Royal Academicians'') in 1988. He resigned from the Academy in 1997 in protest over the display of
Marcus Harvey Marcus Harvey (born 1963 in Leeds) is an English artist and painter, one of the Young British Artists (YBAs). Exhibitions Harvey has shown work internationally in many exhibitions including "The Führer's Cakes" at Galleria Marabini in Bologna ...
's work ''
Myra Myra (; , ''Mýra'') was a city in Lycia. The city was probably founded by Lycians on the river Myros (; Turkish: ''Demre Çay''), in the fertile alluvial plain between, the Massikytos range (Turkish: ''Alaca Dağ'') and the Aegean Sea. By the ...
'', but rejoined in 1998. In 1996 he was commissioned to paint a mural of Calvary – a landscape illuminated by a mystical light – for the Gothic Revivalist
Truro Cathedral The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Truro, Cornwall. It was built between 1880 and 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by John Loughborough Pearson on the site of the parish church of St Mary. His ...
in Cornwall. In 1997, he was commissioned to paint
Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...
for
Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...
, and he created a design for a Christmas stamp for the
Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...
in 1999. Further sacred works by Aitchison are held the chapel of
King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...
. Retrospectives of his work were held at the
Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Westminster, Greater London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Galler ...
in 1981, at
Harewood House Harewood House ( , ) is a English country house, country house in Harewood, West Yorkshire, Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr (architect), John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771, for Ed ...
near Leeds in 1994, and at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow in 1996. Other shows were held at the Museum of Modern Art, Powys in 2001 and at the Royal Academy in London in 2003. He won the Royal Academy's Korn Ferry International Award in 1989 and in 1991, won the first £30,000 Jerwood Painting Prize, sponsored by ''The Sunday Telegraph'' in 1994, and won the Nordstern Art Prize in 2000. He was made a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in 1999. Several of his works are held in the collection of the
Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...
. He designed the Tate Gallery's Christmas tree and Christmas card in 1992.Christmas Tree 1992: Craigie Aitchison
/ref> Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery and the
National Galleries of Scotland The National Galleries of Scotland (, sometimes also known as National Galleries Scotland) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the Nation ...
also own works.


Personal life

Aitchison lived and worked in London and in Italy. When in London, he lived in Kennington, where he occupied the same Victorian town house for 35 years. He bought Wayney, the first of his woolly
Bedlington Terrier The Bedlington Terrier is a dog breed, breed of small dog named after the mining town of Bedlington, Northumberland in North East England. Originally bred to hunt, the Bedlington Terrier has since been used in dog racing, numerous List of dog s ...
s, from
Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, held since 1891, and organised by The Kennel Club. It is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is primarily a championship conformation show for dogs, and ...
in 1971. He continued to own Bedlington Terriers over a 28-year period; in the later part of his life he owned three. They featured in a number of his paintings.Gayford, Martin
''Dog Days''
''
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
'', 1 January 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.


References


Bibliography

*Craigie Aitchison: Out of the Ordinary, Andrew Lambirth, Royal Academy of Arts (2003) *Craigie: The Art of Craigie Aitchison, Andrew Gibbon-Williams, Canongate Books Ltd. (2001) *Craigie Aitchison paintings 1953–1981, Arts Council of Great Britain (1981) *Craigie Aitchison Recent Work, Paul Levy, Waddington Galleries, Catalogue (27 Oct 2006) *The First Miracle, Jeffrey Archer(Author), Craigie Aitchison(Illustrator), HarperCollins (1994) *Craigie Aitchison: Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné, Andrew Lambirth, Royal Academy of Arts (1 Jun 2013)) *Craigie Atchison, 'Fragments from a Conversation' ith Patrick Swift">Patrick_Swift.html" ;"title="ith Patrick Swift">ith Patrick Swift X (magazine)">''X magazine'', Vol. 1, No. 4 (October 1960); ''An Anthology from X'', Oxford University Press (1988)


External links

*
Aitchison at ArtCyclopediaBehind the scenes at the museum, ''The Guardian'', 16 December 2006Obituary, ''The Times''Obituary, ''The Herald''Obituary, ''The Scotsman''Portraits of Craigie Aitchison in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, LondonTimothy Taylor Gallery – Estate of Craigie Aitchison
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitchison, Craigie 1926 births 2009 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 21st-century Scottish painters 21st-century Scottish male artists Painters from Edinburgh Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Royal Academicians People educated at Edinburgh Academy People from Kincardine, Fife Bisexual painters People educated at Loretto School, Musselburgh Bisexual male artists Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Royal Scottish Academicians Scottish LGBTQ painters Scottish bisexual men Scottish bisexual artists Scottish contemporary artists 20th-century Scottish LGBTQ people 21st-century Scottish LGBTQ people 20th-century Scottish male artists British LGBTQ male artists