ADAM BRUCE THOMSON: THE QUIET PATH
11th May – 6th October 2024
City Art Centre
2 Market Street
Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Adam Bruce Thomson (1885-1976) was a highly influential artist of his generation, despite his modest demeanor. Born in Edinburgh, he was among the first students to attend Edinburgh College of Art when it was founded in 1908. He later became a teacher at the College for forty years, supporting new generations of artists.
Thomson mastered various art forms, such as printmaking, pastel drawing, oil painting, and watercolours. His choice of subjects was diverse, ranging from portraiture to still life, architecture, and landscapes. Thomson exhibited widely and was respected by his peers, even receiving an OBE in 1963. Nevertheless, his unassuming personality often kept him out of the public eye, and his contribution to Scottish art in the twentieth century is still mostly unexplored.
(Photo: Antonia Reeve)
The upcoming exhibition, “Adam Bruce Thomson: The Quiet Path,” aims to reintroduce this talented artist to the public. The exhibition, held in the City Art Centre, will span two floors and showcase Thomson’s extensive career, from his early student works to his mature, evocative Scottish landscapes. The exhibition will also examine his role as a mentor and friend to other artists. It will feature key artworks on loan from public and private collections, marking the first major retrospective of Thomson’s work in a public gallery. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new book, “Adam Bruce Thomson: The Quiet Path,” published in spring 2024 by Sansom & Company.
© the artist’s estate (Photo: City Art Centre);
“Adam Bruce Thomson was such a talented, versatile artist, who remains mostly unknown, even in his native Edinburgh. Despite making a significant impact on 20 th century Scottish art, he was extremely modest about his achievements, and has become something of an art historical footnote, overshadowed by bigger names. For this exhibition I’ve been privileged to gain access to rare archival material and artworks held in private collections, helping me piece together the story of his
life and career. I’m excited to share these discoveries with visitors to the exhibition, giving Adam Bruce Thomson the attention he deserves.” Dr Helen Scott, curator
ADAM BRUCE THOMSON: THE QUIET PATH opens on the 11th of May until the 6th of October 2024 at City Art Centre
©2024 City Art Centre
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