Artists Howson and Muir collaboration on new work born from 'pure chance'

Howson and Muir have collaborated on the new work | contributed

Scottish artists Peter Howson and Ross Muir have joined forces to create a major new collaborative painting titled 'Two Sons'.

The painting, revealed for the first time on Thursday, will go on public display in 2026 at an undisclosed venue before going on private sale.

Over the past few weeks, the artists have worked both side-by-side and independently on the new large-scale painting - a remake of Muir’s much-loved painting, 'Square Gogh' - the viral 2018 painting that first brought Muir to national attention. It quickly became a modern Scottish cultural icon, was loaned to the National Museums Liverpool for exhibition, and now resides in a private collection.

Howson and Muir | contributed

The new 'Two Sons' work is painted in oils on a 108 cm × 90 cm linen canvas and presents Vincent Van Gogh rendered in Howson’s powerful, muscular style, while Muir adds his unmistakable cultural twists by placing him in a retro Adidas tracksuit within a familiar twilight landscape.
Above him, two suns hang in the sky - a striking visual metaphor that gives the piece its title, “symbolising the meeting of two artistic worlds”.

The collaboration between Muir and Howson began by complete chance. The pair met while walking their dogs in a park in Glasgow’s West End. Muir introduced himself, and acknowledged him as a constant source of inspiration throughout his life and career.

Talking about their chance meeting, Howson said: “When I first met Ross and he showed me his work I knew that here was an artist who had outstanding ability and an amazing imagination.”

Muir added: “Working with Peter has been unreal in the best possible way.

The new work | contributed

“He’s one of the greatest living artists of our time, and I’ve looked up to him since the day I first picked up a brush. You can’t escape his influence in the Glasgow art scene - his work is everywhere, in the best collections and in every conversation about painting. And when you finally see a Howson piece in the flesh, you understand exactly why.

He added, “This isn’t just a dream come true, but pure chance and fate at work. For it to begin with a simple dog walk still blows my mind. Two Sons is both of us on the canvas, exactly as we are.”