A HISTORY of the ART COLLECTIONS
Comprehensive in depth and quality
8,000
The number of items in Fine and Applied Art Collections
.
1785
The year the first work, Alexander Runciman's Portrait of David
Steuart Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan was gifted. The
Art collections have really developed since the
1920s
1830s
The Marquis of Breadalbane gifted 6 Neapolitan 'Old
Masters' which he had purchased while
undertaking the Grand Tour of Europe in 1831. The paintings
represent the development of painting in Naples during the late
sixteenth and early seventeenth century and are;
Prometheus in the style of Caravaggio, Saint
Andrew by Ribera, The Magdalen by Vaccari, The
Battle of the Amazons by Farelli and Giordano, Esau
Selling His Birthright by Giordano and The Forum
Romanum by Van Witell (known as Vanvitelli)
1850s and 1880s
Major exhibitions of paintings and sculpture are held in
Perth in 1851 and 1883
1910s
The Perthshire Art Association is founded and plays a key
role in lobbying for a permanent Art Gallery for Perth
1920s
Robert Brough and Robert Hay Robertson, Perth businessmen die in
1926. Their bequests finance the present building and they
bequeath Dutch and Flemish works as well as Scottish pictures to
the collection
1930s and 40s
Sir David Young Cameron makes many lifetime gifts,
establishing the collection of original prints. Perth is named as a
major joint beneficiary with the National Gallery of Scotland in
his will
1950s
Further major gifts and bequests are made, including those
of Mrs D P Ramsay and John Guthrie Spence Smith RSA
1960s
Concerted effort to purchase contemporary Scottish
pictures from the Royal Scottish Academy Annual
Exhibitions
1970s
The Council appoints its first Keeper of Art
1980s
The first Catalogue of the Paintings and Drawings in
the collection is published and a series of monographs on local and
Scottish artists commence being published
1990s
The Collection of 20th century art is enhanced by works
allocated from the Scottish Arts Council Bequest, and the J D
Fergusson Art Foundation gifts the single largest collection of
work by J D Fergusson, one of the Scottish Colourists. This
collection enhanced by works by members of his circle is housed in
The Fergusson Gallery nearby
2000s
The Fine Art collection, along with the rest of the
Musuem and Art Gallery collection is recognised in 2008 as being of
National Significance to Scotland by an independent panel appointed
by the Scottish Government, and in 2009/10 the Margaret Morris
Movement Collection is gifted to the Council to join the J D
Fergusson material at The Fergusson Gallery
Scottish Art
The strength of the collection lies in its Scottish
material.
The fine art collection includes portraiture, landscapes, figure
painting, prints and sculpture from the 16th century to the
present. These include a pre-Reformation panel painting depicting
St Bartholomew, Patron Saint of the Glover's Incorporation and
examples by most of the leading 19th and 20th century Scottish
artists including
Horatio McCulloch, William Fettes Douglas, Sir Joseph Noel
Paton, Robert Herdman, William McTaggart, Sir William Mactaggart,
Anne Redpath, Joan Eardley, William George Gillies, John Bellany,
amongst others.
Local Artists and Views
The following local artists all have strong
representation in the collection and further details about them and
their work can be found in the following links;
David Octavius Hill RSA (1802-70),
Thomas Duncan RSA ARA (1807-45)
John McLaren Barclay RSA (1811- 86),
James Hall Cranstoun (1821-1907),
William Proudfoot (1822-1902),
William Geddes (1840-84),
Charles Gray Kennaway (1860-1925),
William Miller Frazer RSA (1864-1961), John Guthrie Spence Smith RSA (1880-1951),
John Milne Purvis (1885-1961), David Prophet Ramsay (1888-1944) and
James Proudfoot ROI, RPA (1908-71)
The collection also has many views of Perth and Perthshire and we
have provided a searchable alphabetical listing of the portraits in the collection, including many of
local people.
English Art
Includes watercolours by
Beatrix Potter and oils by
John Everett Millais and Sir Edwin Landseer who were all
associated with Perthshire.
Applied Art
There is a particularly strong collection of
Perth Silver with domestic, ecclesiastical and ceremonial ware
from the 17th to the 20th century. Much of this is on
display.
There are good collections of ceramics by studio potters of Perth
and Kinross and an outstanding group of
Martinware studio pottery bequeathed by
Sir David Young Cameron.
Glass making has been an important industry in Perth & Kinross
and our collection covers a broad range from laboratory and
lighting glassware manufactured by Moncrieff's of Perth, to the
decorative Monart and
Vasart glass and paperweights made locally.
Supporters
The art collection has developed through generous
donations, considerate bequests, and judicious purchases. Without
the public spirit of our many donors and bequeathers and the
support of bodies like the Art
Fund, The Perth Branch of NADFAS, The National Heritage
Lottery Fund and The National Fund for Acquisitions, administered
with Government Monies by the National Museum of Scotland, Perth's
art collection would be significantly the poorer.
