William McTaggart exhibition planned for Banff

AN exhibition of work by William McTaggart, one of Scotland’s best-loved artists, is to go on display for the first time in the north east of Scotland next month.

The collection of over 20 watercolours, compositional studies and oil paintings is being loaned by the National Galleries of Scotland to Duff House in Banff as part of a wider programme of events being staged by Historic Scotland, which operates Duff House, to celebrate The Year of Natural Scotland 2013.

Rachel Kennedy, the general manager at Duff House, said: “William McTaggart is regarded as one of Scotland’s most outstanding and innovative artists. But unlike many of his contemporaries he chose to work almost exclusively in Scotland.

“He was the son of a crofter, born on the west coast of Scotland and his native land was a constant source of inspiration for him. It provided him with a wealth of subject matter and the everyday scenes of fishing communities, breathtaking views of the ocean and sheltered bays along the Scottish coast, feature heavily in his work. We very much hope that visitors enjoy finding out more about this great Scottish talent through this special exhibition.”

Commenting on the exhibition, Michael Clarke, the director of the Scottish National Gallery, said: “McTaggart is one of the most distinctive of all Scottish artists of the nineteenth century and we are delighted to have this opportunity to show his work at Duff House.”

The exhibition will run at Duff House from 6 April to 30 June. The exhibition was first shown at the Scottish National Gallery in 2010 to celebrate the centenary of the artist’s death.