Robert Burns A.R.S.A. (Scottish 1869-1941) Skywards

Robert Burns A.R.S.A.
Scottish 1869-1941.
Skywards.

Robert Burns is known to be one of the earliest enthusiasts in Scotland for the Art Nouveau. Around 1900, Burns developed a clear Symbolist streak in his art which he showed not only in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but also at the Vienna Secession. His passion for Celtic myth also started to influence his paintings and began to embark on a lengthy project illustrating a collection of Scottish ballads. Completed only in the 1920's, this project is still one of the best examples of Scottish book illustration. Although his career was cut short by a stroke, his work is unquestionably one of the more interesting and varied Scottish painters of the early 20th Century. 

This picture is thought to have been produced around 1900. The distinct softness in the sweeping outlines of the body and the cloud formation suggest it is from Burns's art nouveau period. Clearly a sketch, it is conceived on a very large scale and therefore was probably designed for a mural. Similarly the unusual cross hatching across the deeply coloured passages lends a chalky tonality to the picture reminiscent of painting on plaster. This painting remained in Burns's studio when he died, and upon its release in the early 1980's it was unclear whether it was ever finished. However in its current form it is quite substantial enough to be a very appealing piece of art in its own right, but still retains the freshness and immediacy of the first translation of an artist’s thoughts into brushstrokes.

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Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance