Painting in Scotland: The Golden Age

by Duncan Macmillan

Genres: Art

206 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Duncan Macmillan, FRSA, FRSE, HRSA, is a Scottish art historian, art critic, and writer.

Macmillan lectured in the Fine Art department at the University of Edinburgh. His works include Painting in Scotland: the Golden Age (Oxford 1986), and Scottish Art 1460 - 1990 (Edinburgh 1990, enlarged edition Scottish Art 1460 - 2000, Edinburgh 2000), He also wrote Scottish Art in the 20th Century (Edinburgh 1994), and most recently Scotland's Shrine: The Scottish National War Memorial (Lund Humphries, 2014).

Macmillan is author of monographs on Scottish and European artists, including Will Maclean, Steven Campbell, Elizabeth Blackadder, Victoria Crowe, and (with Tom Hewlett) of FCB Cadell, as well of numerous catalogues, articles, essays etc., on British and European art and artists. His recent critique of the loss of intellectual and moral probity in the contemporary art world, entitled The Thought Police, appeared in Treason of the Scholars.

For the English playwright, see Duncan Macmillan.

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it may seem a niche topic to some, this is my all-time favourite art history book. It has philosophy, feeling and brings 18th Century Scotland (and Europe) to life in a way that only Austen does. If you need both beauty and an immersive read, look no further.

[Commander Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays are somewhat disjointed, dense and close to impenetrable.
It was interesting to note have closely interwoven the lives and thoughts of the contemporary personalities were.