Sir William Gillies
CBE, RSA, RA, PPRSW Born: 1898Place of Birth: Haddington
Died: 1973
Possibly because he was so prolific, and his work of a consistently high standard, Sir William Gillies is still underrated in the context of Modern British Art. The fact that he favoured the watercolour medium, too, may be a factor. Born in Haddington, he trained and taught at Edinburgh College of Art, latterly as a much-loved and influential principal. He was a great mentor for many of the next generation of the Edinburgh School. He had studied in Paris in 1923 with Andre Lhote, which he found unconducive, but visited exhibitions and sketched widely when possible. On his return, the following year, it was clear from his own pioneering landscape work that he was aware of the European avant garde. He was similarly galvanised by exhibitions of Munch and Klee at the SSA in Edinburgh in the early 1930s. Gillies loved to drive, rapidly, in his Alvis or on motorcycles, and toured widely in pursuit of subject matter. He could produce several large watercolours a day, en plein air, while his great friend John Maxwell agonized over his work nearby. Generally, though, Gillies depicted the Border country, which was within easy reach of his home in Temple. A series of Fife fishing villages in the 50s is particularly fine. Early on, he had produced a number of powerful yet sensitive figure studies, of family and friends, and (inspired in part by Braque) would later embark on a series of tabletop still life studio compositions of great vision and quality. A supreme Colourist, he was also in complete command when working tonally. Gillies had a long and fruitful relationship with The Scottish Gallery, which continues to this day in the secondary market.
We are actively looking for artwork by William Gillies. If you have any works you are interested in selling please contact The Gallery.
-
Wet Weather View details
Sir William Gillies
Wet Weather
1961watercolour and pencilH:25cm W:35cmReservedBorder Hills View detailsSir William Gillies
Border Hills
watercolourH:38cm W:57cm£4,950Country Cottages View detailsSir William Gillies
Country Cottages
1946pencil & watercolourH:27cm W:33cm£3,350The Sheep Pen on Meldons Road View detailsSir William Gillies
The Sheep Pen on Meldons Road
1956watercolourH:25cm W:34cm£3,500In Temple Cottage View detailsSir William Gillies
In Temple Cottage
c.1972watercolour and pencilH:51cm W:35.5cm£5,250Crofts in a Landscape View detailsSir William Gillies
Crofts in a Landscape
WatercolourH:52.5cm W:70cm£11,500On Eddleston Water View detailsSir William Gillies
On Eddleston Water
1960oil on canvasH:47cm W:61cm£6,250St Valery-en-Caux View detailsSir William Gillies
St Valery-en-Caux
1938watercolourH:47cm W:62cm£8,250Waterfall View details-
Balmacara View details
Sir William Gillies
Balmacara
c.1969watercolourH:11cm W:18cmSoldStudy for Summer Moon View detailsSir William Gillies
Study for Summer Moon
pen and watercolourH:27cm W:32cmSoldPool in the Meldons View detailsSir William Gillies
Pool in the Meldons
1960watercolour and pencilH:23cm W:36cmSoldThe Tweed at Lyne, Winter View detailsSir William Gillies
The Tweed at Lyne, Winter
c.1967watercolour and pencilH:25cm W:35cmSoldEast Lothian, the Tyne View detailsSir William Gillies
East Lothian, the Tyne
c.1968watercolour and pencilH:47cm W:62cmSoldAnstruther View detailsSir William Gillies
Anstruther
watercolourH:21cm W:34cmSoldGladhouse from Toxside View detailsSir William Gillies
Gladhouse from Toxside
watercolourH:11cm W:16cmSoldNear Cruden Bay View detailsSir William Gillies
Near Cruden Bay
c.1951watercolourH:12cm W:17.5cmSoldShowery Weather View detailsSir William Gillies
Showery Weather
c.1970pencil and watercolourH:24cm W:33cmSoldHighland Village View detailsSir William Gillies
Highland Village
c.1925watercolourH:25cm W:35cmSoldTemple Street View detailsSir William Gillies
Temple Street
watercolourH:27cm W:38cmSoldTemple by Moonlight View detailsSir William Gillies
Temple by Moonlight
watercolourH:685cm W:96cmSoldLandscape Below Stow View detailsSir William Gillies
Landscape Below Stow
c.1950soil on canvasH:63.5cm W:76cmSoldRocks, Morar View detailsSir William Gillies
Rocks, Morar
c.1933watercolourH:36.5cm W:55.5cmSoldAnstruther from the Harbour View detailsSir William Gillies
Anstruther from the Harbour
1946oil on canvasH:46cm W:56cmSoldHouse through the Trees View detailsSir William Gillies
House through the Trees
pen and watercolourH:29cm W:45cmSoldBorthwick View detailsSir William Gillies
Borthwick
c.1968pen and watercolourH:41cm W:51cmSoldBorders Hillside View detailsSir William Gillies
Borders Hillside
oil on canvasH:41cm W:58cmSoldThe Shore, Laide View detailsSir William Gillies
The Shore, Laide
1938watercolourH:56cm W:76cmSoldArthur's Seat from Temple View detailsSir William Gillies
Arthur's Seat from Temple
1962watercolour and inkH:25.5cm W:35.5cmSoldNear Clovenfords View detailsSir William Gillies
Near Clovenfords
c.1960watercolourH:24cm W:25cmSoldTwo Old Gateways, Fife View detailsSir William Gillies
Two Old Gateways, Fife
1937ink drawingH:50cm W:63cmSoldSpring Landscape View detailsSir William Gillies
Spring Landscape
watercolourH:25cm W:35cmSoldWest Gruinard Bay View detailsSir William Gillies
West Gruinard Bay
watercolour and inkH:55cm W:75cmSoldStill Life with Jug and Apples View detailsSir William Gillies
Still Life with Jug and Apples
oil on canvasH:47cm W:62cmSoldTweed at Stobo View detailsSir William Gillies
Tweed at Stobo
pencil drawingH:26cm W:35cmSoldBlyth Bridge View detailsSir William Gillies
Blyth Bridge
1956watercolourH:26cm W:23cmSoldThe Pentlands View detailsSir William Gillies
The Pentlands
c. 1936oil on canvasH:27cm W:38cmSoldMeldon Hills View detailsSir William Gillies
Meldon Hills
1956pencil and watercolourH:24cm W:35cmSoldNear Burnhouse View detailsSir William Gillies
Near Burnhouse
1958watercolourH:25cm W:35cmSoldThe Lark Wood, Summer View detailsSir William Gillies
The Lark Wood, Summer
c.1940oil on canvasH:58cm W:90cmSoldAnstruther View detailsSir William Gillies
Anstruther
1923oil on canvasH:34cm W:44cmSoldFrom the Clovenfords Road View detailsSir William Gillies
From the Clovenfords Road
1959watercolourH:25.5cm W:35.5cmSoldHighland Shore View detailsSir William Gillies
Highland Shore
c.1934watercolourH:51cm W:63cmSoldRosebery, near Temple View detailsLoading
No more pages to load