Scottish Art

by Murdo MacDonald

Overview

Accessible, extensively researched, and beautifully illustrated, this updated volume by renowned scholar and author Murdo Macdonald sheds light on the history and cultural significance of Scottish art.

At a time when issues of Scottish identity are the subject of fierce debate, Murdo Macdonald illuminates Scotland’s artistic past and present in this classic text in the World of Art series. Ranging from Neolithic standing stones and the art of the Picts and Gaels to Reformation and Enlightenment art and major figures in the contemporary art scene, Scottish Art explores the distinctive characteristics of Scottish art through the centuries. It examines the cultural heritage and intricate patterns of Celtic design, the importance of Highland and coastal landscapes, long-standing connections between French and Scottish artists, and how each of these factors influenced the development of art in Scotland.

This new edition includes more than 200 full-color images of Scottish art from prehistoric times to the present. With masterpieces from artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Joan Eardley, this book is a thorough, authoritative, and accessible introduction to Scottish art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500204528
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	World of Art
Edition description:	Second
Pages:	264
Sales rank:	1,082,287
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Murdo Macdonald is an emeritus professor of the history of Scottish art at the University of Dundee. He is the former editor of the Edinburgh Review, and he was appointed an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture and an honorary fellow of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.

Table of Contents

Preface 7

Chapter 1 Prehistory and Early History 8

Chapter 2 The Development of Christian Art 20

Chapter 3 Loss and Reconstruction 43

Chapter 4 Classicism and Celticism 56

Chapter 5 Art and Philosophy 80

Chapter 6 Nineteenth-Century Narratives 100

Chapter 7 Modernity and Revivals 139

Chapter 8 Twentieth-Century Pluralism 169

Chapter 9 Deconstructing Stereotypes and Reappropriating Symbols 211

Select Bibliography 245

List of Illustrations 251

Index 259

Editorial Reviews

This slender, well-written volume fills a gap in the study of British and Western art history by examining the history, common characteristics, and achievements of the art of Scotland. Scottish art has too often been treated as an appendage to English art. The author examines the development of the art from early Celtic times to the present. For a volume covering so much time, this leaves readers with a surprisingly good idea of the main points of each age. The larger question of the common features in this art, such as Celtic designs, the harsh and beautiful landscape, and the poverty and difficulty of life that emerge over and over, are thoughtfully discussed. Although this book examines all artistic media, the most glorious plates in this volume are of the oil paintings, particularly those of such great Scottish masters such as Henry Raeburn, David Wilkie, Allan Ramsay, and John Alexander. The author covers his subject well, and the reader certainly is left with a greater appreciation of Scottish art. This is a volume for every serious art library.--Martin Chasin, Adult Institute, Bridgeport, CT Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Library Journal

A well-illustrated compendium, from prehistory through the 20th century, tracing the themes and ideas that Scottish artists have continually returned to, forming an overarching culture that is studded with distinct and colorful personalities. It's a vivid history, though the edition's small type, particularly in the faint sans-serif captions, is hard on older eyes. Macdonald, a painter, teaches the history of Scottish art at the U. of Dundee. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

In Scottish Art, Murdo Macdonald (Professor of History of Scottish Art at the University of Dundee) provides a scholarly and definitive historical survey of Scottish are from prehistory to the present. Macdonald demonstrates that Scottish art is bound together as a tradition by certain stylistic features (such as Celtic design) as well as revolving around certain themes or aspects of landscape, such as the Scottish coastline. Profusely illustrated throughout in both black white as well as color reproductions, Scottish Art is informative, detailed, superbly presented, and thoroughly "reader friendly".

Internet Bookwatch

There are many merits to this book. Murdo MacDonald shows a firm command of the material, offering insight, presenting subtle relationships between art and context, providing stimulating interpretations. Most particularly, there is a strong narrative drive to the text which draws the reader through the many twists and turns of Scottish art and history. This book ably serves as a first introduction to the visual culture of Scotland, and is an indispensable guide to the story of Scottish art.
Times Literary Supplement

Tom Normand