This is one of a small selection of etchings that I have available on my online store relating to the 1901 International Exhibition in Glasgow.
This is a fine etching depicting an interesting piece of Glasgow history. It is beautifully rendered and has been strengthened with lots of drypoint details. It was created by one of Scotland's finest printmakers, Sir Muirhead Bone (1876 - 1953).
Muirhead Bone was born in Partick, Glasgow, and trained as an architect. He attended evening classes at Glasgow School of Art and was self-taught as an etcher.
In 1901 he settled in London, where he quickly established an international reputation, selling prints for large sums. He produced nearly 500 prints and was knighted in 1937.
This print is one of a series that Bone was commissioned to produce by the publisher, Annan. The series was to record scenes and a selection of the temporary buildings constructed for the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901. For his ten etchings and drypoints Bone chose to depict views of the Main Gate to the exhibition, the newly built International Hall, as well as views of some of the principal pavilions, theaters and gardens.
The Exhibition ran for six months and it had elaborate exhibition halls, gardens and a selection of amazing international pavilions. Over eleven and a half million visitors came to the event. Bone has included lots of little figures into the scene to give you a sense of scale and the bustling atmosphere that you might encounter at the Exhibition site.
The set of consists of a total of ten etchings and these were published in a limited edition of ninety impressions. These were never pencil signed - but were all printed with a signature by Bone in the plate, as photographed.
Etchings by Sir Muirhead Bone are always harder items to source. He was a traditional Etching Revival printmaker who would not steel-face his plates for printing larger editions. Most of his intaglio prints are drawn on copper plates and have lots of rich drypoint details. The burr wears away more quickly and details eventually become fainter - his prints are best with low edition numbers and often do not print as editions of over 100 impressions.
This one is entitled: Ireland and Russia. In the foreground you can see a collection of more humble Irish cottages with the tall pavilion spires of the Russian buildings in the background. The foreground is dominated by the Stewart Memorial Fountain. The main fountain section is lightly sketched to the right hand edge - but the water pool is shown in front of the buildings beyond. The fountain can still be seen today in Kelvingrove Park and is one of the few structures of have survived after the exhibition closed. The most magnificent building to have survived was the Palace of Arts - now the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.
This is a very fine impression and is in excellent condition with no issues. Another pencil signed impression is in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland.
It is being sold framed in a dark brown wooden frame. It is a nice fresh impression that is all ready to hang on your wall. It had previously been retailed at the Bourne Fine Art Gallery in Edinburgh (now the Fine Art Society). There is there label on the back of the frame.
Dimensions: Frame size is 42.5 x 53 cm. The image size is 15 x 22.5 cm.
This is a much harder image to source - many are in museum collections. This is reflected in my asking price for this historic image and original etching / artwork.
UK Postage with an insured and tracked service will cost £14.95 and this will be applied to your order at the checkout.