John Bellany

by John McEwen

John Bellany is the most influential painter since the war, re-establishing a native, figurative art at a time, when Modernism and abstraction seemed invincible. Born at Port Seton in 1942 into a family of fishermen and boat builders and steeped in Calvinism as a child, his art is profoundly religious in its intimation of mortality and recognition of evil. Bellany's life voyage has proved every bit as perilous as the sea voyages of his ancestors. His paintings are in the collections of major museums and art galleries around the world, including the National Galleries of Scotland, The Tate Gallery, The Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. of one of Britain's foremost living artists. Throughout his career he has painted elemental allegories, and his work often reflected events in his personal life, such as a series of pictures inspired by his liver transplant.

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994