'Painting of the Month' is a new initiative brought to the University of Dundee by its Department of History, School of Fine Art, Museum Services and Exhibitions Department.
Located in the vestibule of the Lower Foyer Gallery, Crawford Building, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, this project is designed to support the teaching of Scottish art history at the University of Dundee. Over the course of this academic year a different work of art from the University Museum Collections will be displayed each month, designed to show chronologically the development of Scottish art over the past three centuries.
The idea came from Murdo Macdonald, Professor of History of Scottish Art, who said, 'The University of Dundee has an excellent, diverse, and often intriguing collection of works of art. 'Painting of the Month' is an effective way of giving it some of the public exposure it deserves."
Curator of Museum Services Matthew Jarron added, "Our collections represent a microcosm of Scottish art history, from Raeburn and Wilkie up to Ian Hamilton Finlay and Paolozzi. It's great that their educational value is being explored as well as just their aesthetic qualities."
The first painting to be displayed is David Allan's portrait of the 3 year old James Abercromby, later Lord and First Baron Dunfermline. Allan (1744-1796) is regarded as one of the first pioneers of a uniquely Scottish school of art. He was born in Alloa and educated in Glasgow. He lived in Rome for ten years, becoming well known for witty caricatures and sketches. After an unsuccessful period in London, he settled in Edinburgh and became Master of the celebrated Trustees' Academy (the fore-runner of Edinburgh College of Art).
His Sketches of the Roman Carnival were widely reproduced and led to him being nicknamed "the Scottish Hogarth", although the comparison is somewhat misleading. His fondness for subjects based on folk tradition often caused his work to be critically neglected, but proved an important inspiration to the next generation of Scottish artists.
In 1999 the painting was selected for the major Scotland's Art exhibition at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh. More recently the Scottish National Portrait Gallery have expressed an interest in borrowing the work for a forthcoming exhibition on Allan.
For more information please contact:
EXHIBITIONS DEPARTMENT,
DUNCAN OF JORDANSTONE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN,
UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE, 13 PERTH RD, DUNDEE DD1 4HT
T: 01382 345330 F:01382 345192 exhibitions@dundee.ac.uk
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk