Influential Scottish painter John Bellany was born in Port Seton in 1942. In the early 1960’s he began studying at Edinburgh College of Art, further going on to study at the Royal College of Art in London. The artist has had many successful exhibitions in several cities and states around the world - mainly in the US and the UK - and has received notable awards for his work. Bellany underwent a liver transplant in 1988 after years of suffering from alcoholism brought on by his depression. The artist then died in 2013.
Some of Bellany’s most notable works include:
‘Chinatown’ (1987) - Oil on Canvas, 152.5 x 122 cm
John Bellany was commissioned by London Underground in 1987 to paint his piece ‘Chinatown’. The work itself addresses his allusion to a power struggle between the East and West – the woman near the bottom of the piece is Western and her opera glasses establish her as from the past when the West dominated China. In this piece, it is suggested that China now dominates the West as the woman in the foreground is naked, having been stripped of her power and authority. Traditionally on a Chinese table, the head of the fish points towards the eldest member of the family or the most honourable guest. On this Chinese table, in the centre of London, guests prepare to eat the Western delicacy lobster. The lobster points to the fortune-teller whose cards present a diamond and a spade – which envision death for both sides.
‘My Father’ (1966) - Oil on Hardboard, 122 x 91.20 cm
In Bellany’s portrait titled ‘My Father’, the artist paid close regard to the weather-beaten quality of his father’s hands and head. These details convey the figure’s physical tribulations of life as a fisherman. A tattoo depicting the words ‘True love Nancy’ can be seen on the figure’s arm – this is a tattoo Bellany’s father dedicated to his wife Nancy (the artist’s mother) who was a highly important person to him. Bellany’s father even quit being a fisherman in 1951 for his wife who experienced anxiety over her husband constantly being out at sea. One of Bellany’s own paintings depicting fishermen can be seen at the bottom of the piece, with his father’s arms resting on it.
‘Allegory’ (1964) - Oil on Hardboard (triptych), 212.40 x 121.80 cm, 213.30 x 160.00 cm
The large triptych piece ‘Allegory’ was inspired by the 16th century Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald and Nikolaus Hagenauer. The work centres around Bellany’s recurring themes of religion, death and his birthplace – fishing village Port Seton. The crucified body of Jesus Christ is replaced with carcasses of crucified fish and the mourning figures surround him are replaced with laboured fishermen.
‘Star of Bethlehem’ (1966) - Oil on Hardboard, 184 x 245 cm
‘Star of Bethlehem’ continues the theme of home as fishermen are yet again depicted in this work, gutting a fish inside a boat named ‘Star of Bethlehem’. At an early age Bellany often spent his time gutting fish for his fishermen father and grandfather and the boat itself was a real boat based in Eyemouth (a small town in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders).
Focusing on Scottish history and symbolism, Bellany’s figurative works combined maritime imagery and Christian iconography with representations of the lives of ordinary working people. The image of the boat runs throughout Bellany’s work, both as a mainstay of Scottish fishing-village life, and as a metaphor for inner voyages. His practice fostered a profound engagement with themes of loss, survival and redemption.
John Bellany’s works are large compositions often heavy with symbolism, specifically the sea, religion and humanity’s flaws. Nearly all of his work is figural, often depicting the lives of fishing communities on the East Coast of Scotland. Working largely from memory, the artist creates sketches first to work out the composition. Bellany draws inspiration from Scottish primitive painters such as Robin Philipson and Alan Davie, eventually joining them in becoming one of the most influential Scottish painters of all time. Working in a vigorous expressionist style, Bellany was credited with pioneering a painting style that married native painting with the influences of Impressionism.
The artist mostly worked using oil paint on canvas or hardboard where textural brushwork which has been built up in layers - using quick, fluid strokes - is applied in an energetic way. Dry brushwork is also used to apply the paint in many works which adds another complex layer of texture to the surface. Although, there is some realism created through the use of tone in his works, the figures have been stylised in a way which is very typical of Bellany – creating simplified and exaggerated versions of the features on the figures.
Bellany’s earlier work often featured a fairly realistic and neutral colour scheme and the oil paint application seen in works like ‘Allegory’ and ‘My Father’ has allowed Bellany to achieve subtle, variations in colour through the blending and layering of the paint. The way the paint has been layered has allowed him to harmonise the colours throughout the painting.
After the 1970s, Bellany explored much more vibrant colour schemes and often used raw primaries. Many of his late 90s to early 2000s work incorporated bright yellows and oranges, which both have positive symbolic meanings of joy, happiness, warmth and enthusiasm. This vast use of warm colours could be interpreted as a shift in the artist’s mood as much of his work became more optimistic after his liver transplant operation in 1988.
