A wonderfully characterful and darkly humorous oil by Glasgow artist Donald MacLeod, The Art Club presents an enigmatic gathering of formally dressed figures around a long table. At the centre, a woman in a brilliant red dress stretches her arms dramatically across the composition while the surrounding men raise their glasses. Bottles, glasses, a black dog and the extraordinary inclusion of a recumbent figure on the floor give the scene the quality of an episode from a larger, unexplained story.
Details
Artist: Donald MacLeod (Scottish, 1956-2018)
Title:The Art Club
Medium: Oil on canvas
Signature: Initialled lower left; further signed Donald MacLeod verso
Inscription: Titled “THE ART CLUB” verso
Artwork: 50 × 60 cm (19.7 × 23.6 in)
Framed: 63 × 73 cm (24.8 × 28.7 in)
Condition: Some handling bumps to frame. Artwork in excellent condition.
Figurative Scottish Art
MacLeod's simplified figures, flattened perspective and strongly controlled palette of olive green, black, white and red give the painting an immediate graphic quality. Beneath its humour is the narrative ambiguity characteristic of an artist fascinated by characters, stories, myths and human behaviour.
About the Artist
Donald MacLeod was born in Glasgow in 1956 and studied drawing and painting at Glasgow School of Art for two years before joining the Royal Highland Fusiliers. During the 1980s he travelled through Europe with fellow Scottish artist Peter Howson and, after returning to Scotland, worked for a period as Howson's studio assistant before becoming a full-time artist in 1992.
MacLeod developed a distinctive figurative practice informed by characters, Scottish tales, poems and myths. He exhibited in mixed exhibitions including Flowers East in London and was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts annual exhibition. Solo exhibitions included shows with Compass Gallery, Veneer and Art Exposure in Glasgow. His works are held in private and public collections in Europe and North America.
