Scottish Oil Painting Girl Reading Story Book Teddy Bear By David Alison RSA

Scottish Fine Art Early 20th Century Large Oil Painting Portrait Blonde Girl Reading A Story Book With Teddy Bear By David Alison RSA C1914.

Subject portrait of a blonde girl in full length side profile she is sitting down in a chair in the study, looking towards the right of the viewer, she is holding her favourite story book. Wearing a traditional white and red dress, with thick curly blonde hair & blue eyes.

Title “Portrait of a Girl Reading” C1914 by the artist David Alison.

Oil on canvas.

Circa early 20th century dated 1914.

A great impressive size with the frame being 107 cm high and 86.5 cm wide.

Presented in original traditional heavy decoraitive gilt frame with front protective glass cover. 

So collectible and sought after the subject portraiture matter.

Signed by the known Scottish listed artist David Alison.

In our opinion this is one of his finest works.

Artist biography David Alison a known Scottish artist was born in the year 1882, his paintings have been exhibited at galleries like the Royal Academy & also in the Royal Scottish Academy and have been sold at auctions worldwide like Christie’s, the current highest sold price is $9049 US dollars which was for a portrait of a girl titled Summer. He was born in the Scottish town of Dysart which is a former Royal Burgh located on the south coast of Scotland between Kirkcaldy and West Wemyss in Fife.

When he was a young child he showed he had future talent as an artist. He went to school first at Kirkcaldy high school. When he was older he then studied at the Glasgow School of Art, he spent time travelling and studying around the continent for around a year. He began painting in his very own art studio in his home town, a year before the start of WW1 he gained a teaching position in the Edinburgh College of Art as head of the drawing and painting, he was given the nickname Bouff, being a gritty strict traditionalist, he also married during this time, his first exhibition was a portrait of his cherished wife.

He was an admirer of Raeburn, Velasquez, Ingress, & Goya, but out of sympathy with modern art trends. At the start of WW1 he volunteered in the army believed to be the Royal Scots regiment and he fought for the allies in the 1915 campaign in Turkey, Gallipoli, he was injured during this campaign and was pulled out. The next year he was elected Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy RSA. After WW1 in the early 1920’s he was then elected RSA in the early 1920’s. Before the end of WW2 he went to London though he never felt comfortable there and his health failed as a result he went back to Edinburgh he died in 1955. His portraits of his many distinguished students were so fine, he shown widely around Scotland & overseas, he is represented in many public collections .

Sources transcribed from the 1955 RSA Annual Report 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company.

Condition report.

Offered in fine used condition. The front painting surface is in acceptable order with various foxing,dirt, the surface will need professional cleaning, staining, discolouration, craquelure to the surface in places and some minor paint loss towards the edges. The frame has various general wear, scuffs scratches, chips, cracking, losses in places commensurate with usage & age. The glass has scratches & foxing.

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