Kirkcudbright Galleries are delighted to exhibit an exhibition of watercolour paintings and sketches that illustrate the travels and influences of the landscape artist Albert Goodwin (1845-1932).
The exhibition is on show until Sunday 17th March 2024. The exhibition is on show during Kirkcudbright Galleries Winter Hours and so is open from Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm, and Sundays: 11:30 – 4pm. (Last entry for major exhibitions at 3:45pm). The Galleries are currently closed on Mondays.
Albert Goodwin was born in Maidstone in Kent. During his lifetime he painted scenes that are both recognisable and of historical interest. As a member of the Royal Watercolour Society, Goodwin exhibited extensively, showing nearly 800 works. He was championed by Ruskin and trained with the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. His emotive Visionary Landscapes reflect the artistic influences of luminaries from Turner to Ford Madox Brown.
Albert was the seventh of nine children, as a young boy he became an apprentice draper in the town. It was around this time, that his natural flair for drawing was recognised. The young Albert was encouraged in his art and became a pupil of Arthur Hughes in 1855. In the early 1860s Goodwin moved on to work in the studio of the Pre-Raphaelite founder Ford Maddox Brown. These artistic foundations put him into contact with the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Craft luminaries William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris and the eminent art critic John Ruskin, who was to become both friend and mentor.
Albert Goodwin travelled throughout his career, taking inspiration in Europe as well as the West Indies, India, Egypt, New Zealand and Australia. He also sporadically kept a diary for the last forty years of his life. Following his death aged 87, on the 10th April 1932, his family edited his diary notes and published them two years later. The diary brings to life his opinions and character and gives an insight into his working methods. Visitors can read extracts from his diary in this exhibition as they enjoy his artwork.
Speaking on ‘Albert Goodwin: Visionary Landscapes’, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Communities Committee Ian Blake comments:
“This exhibition showcases the works of Albert Goodwin, a British landscape artist who specialized in watercolours. His work shows the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and is a stunning exhibition, accompanied by personal anecdotes from his diary which allows for the audience to really immerse themselves in the workings of Goodwin.
Vice Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Communities Committee Jackie McCamon has said:
“It’s great to see the partnership between Maidstone Museum for Maidstone Borough Council and Kirkcudbright Galleries for Dumfries & Galloway Council working together on bringing this exhibition to Scotland, and to Dumfries & Galloway. The changing exhibition programme allows for increased tourism to the area as there is always something new for visitors to enjoy.”
Images provided by Maidstone Museum for Maidstone Borough Council.
Text from Albert Goodwin: Visionary Landscapes, ‘a touring exhibition organised by Maidstone Museum for Maidstone Borough Council’.
