Still Life with Solomon’s Seal, Blue Ground, c.1963
pencil and watercolour
H:81.5cm W:66.5cm
Autumn Landscape, between Eddleston and Leadburn, c.1965
ink and watercolour
H:37cm W:57cm
Sir William Gillies
CBE, RSA, RA, PPRSW

Born: 1898
Place of Birth: Haddington
Died: 1973
Sir William Gillies is still highly underrated in Modern British terms. Born in Haddington, he trained and taught at Edinburgh College of Art, and did the latter as principal. He was a great influence on many of the next generation of the Edinburgh School. He himself studied in Paris with Andre Lhote and absorbed, variously, the work of Munch, Matisse, Braque and Bonnard. Still life and landscape oils tend to be composed studio pieces of subtle complexity. Watercolours are lyrically observed renderings of the Scottish Borders based on decisive pencil or pen drawings or for larger works, executed alla prima. Gillies had a long and fruitful relationship with The Scottish Gallery which continues in the secondary market.