JD Fergusson
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John Duncan Fergusson (9 March 1874 – 30 January 1961) was a Scottish artist and sculptor, regarded as one of the major artists of 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 ...
school of painting.


Early life

Fergusson was born in
Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...
,
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 first of four children. Although he briefly trained as a
naval surgeon A naval surgeon, or less commonly ship's doctor, is the person responsible for the health of the ship's company aboard a warship. The term appears often in reference to Royal Navy's medical personnel during the Age of Sail. Ancient uses Specialis ...
, Fergusson soon realised that his vocation was painting and he enrolled at the Trustees Academy, an Edinburgh-based art school. He rapidly became disenchanted with the rigid teaching style, however, and elected to teach himself to paint. To this end, he began to travel to Morocco, Spain and France, where he became acquainted with other artists of the day. Amongst them was
Samuel Peploe Samuel John Peploe (pronounced PEP-low; 27 January 1871 – 11 October 1935) was a Scottish Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the ...
, another of the group of artists who would later become identified as the Scottish Colourists.


Painting career


Paris

In 1898, Fergusson took his first trip to Paris to study at the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
. He was highly influenced by the
impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
paintings at the Salle Caillebotte and these were an important influence on his developing style. Later he would also be influenced by
Fauvism Fauvism ( ) is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of (, ''the wild beasts''), a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong col ...
and the fauvist principles of using colour would become a strong feature of his art. Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac wrote in his foreword to Fergusson's memorial exhibition of 1961: "His art is a deep and pure expression of his immense love of life. Endowed with a rare plastic feeling, almost sculptural in its quality. He joined with it an exceptional sense of colour, outspoken, ringing colours, rich and splendid in their very substance." Fergusson became part of the enormous growth in artistic talent that Paris was home to at the beginning of the twentieth century. There he mingled with artists like
Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...
and
Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
in the
café society Café society was the description of the "Beautiful People" and " Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafés and restaurants in New York, Paris and London beginning in the late 19th century. Maury Henry Biddle Paul is credited wi ...
for which the city was renowned. In addition, he and his friend
Samuel Peploe Samuel John Peploe (pronounced PEP-low; 27 January 1871 – 11 October 1935) was a Scottish Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the ...
regularly painted together at Paris Plage (Le Touquet) and other places along the coast between 1904–9. It was at this period too that he began his relationship with the American illustrator
Anne Estelle Rice Anne Estelle Rice (1877–1959) was an American artist who was one of the chief illustrators for the British periodical ''Rhythm'', edited by John Middleton Murry and Michael Sadleir from 1911 to 1913. She established a close relationship with Ka ...
(1879–1959), whom he encouraged to take up painting. She had been sent to Paris to provide drawings for articles on theatre, ballet, opera and race meetings published in the ''North American'' magazine and was to figure in many of Fergusson's canvases. He had his first one-man-show in the Baillie Gallery in London, immediately before going to Paris. He did have his second show until 1923.


Post WWI career

By the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Fergusson was considered to be at the forefront of modern British painting. During the war years, however, he achieved little artistically and it was only towards the end of the war that he regained the momentum in his work. In the 1920s Fergusson was settled in a studio in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. His first solo exhibition was organised by Alexander Reid in September 1923 at La Societe des Beaux Artes in Glasgow, reshown at Aitken & Dott's Gallery in Edinburgh (also through Reid) in October 1923. Reid also organised a four man exhibition including Fergusson at the Galerie Barbazanges in Paris in February 1924. In 1928 he and his partner, the dancer Margaret Morris, moved to Paris, where they lived until the spectre of war once again loomed over Europe, prompting the couple to move to
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
in 1939 where they were to remain for the rest of their lives. A member of
Glasgow Art Club Glasgow Art Club is a club in Glasgow for artists and non-artists interested in creating art and the enjoyment of art - all illustrative arts, sculptures, poetry, prose, plays, music, song, choreography and dance. To advance, promote and encourag ...
, Fergusson exhibited a portrait in the club's exhibition, April 1939. In 1940 Fergusson founded the New Art Club, out of which emerged the New Scottish Group of painters of which he was the first president. In 1943 he published his book on "Modern Scottish Painting". File:JD Fergusson, People and Sails.jpg, ''People and Sails at Royan'', 1910


Death and legacy

Fergusson died on 30 January 1961. His partner Margaret Morris presented fourteen of his paintings to the
University of Stirling The University of Stirling (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals; ) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by a royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airth ...
when it was founded in 1968. His work remains popular, and in 1992 a permanent gallery, The Fergusson Gallery, was founded in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
to house it.


References


Further reading

* Miller, J. Harrison (1962), ''John Duncan Fergusson: Independent Extraordinaire'', in Gordon, Giles and Scott-Moncrieff, Michael (eds.), ''New Saltire'' 3: Spring 1962,
The Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland, founded in 1936. The society organises lectures and publishes pamphlets, and presents a series of awards in the fiel ...
, Edinburgh, pp. 6 – 10


External links

*
Fergusson Gallery, PerthAn illustrated survey of Fergusson’s paintings''Exhibition of paintings and sculpture''
an exhibition catalog from 1928, available from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries.
'Stirling University'
, Fergusson at Stirling University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson, John Duncan British modern painters 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 20th-century Scottish painters 1874 births 1961 deaths People from Leith Scottish Colourists Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art Académie Colarossi alumni Artists from Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish male artists 20th-century Scottish male artists