‘A touring exhibition organised by Maidstone Museum for Maidstone Borough Council’ Kirkcudbright Galleries is delighted to display 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 17 March; Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm, and Sundays: 11:30 – 4pm.
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 and, as a young boy, he became an apprentice draper in his 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 10 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 and Galloway Council’s Communities Committee, Councillor Ian Blake said: “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 Communities Committee, Councillor Jackie McCamon has said: “It’s great to see the partnership between Maidstone Museum for Maidstone Borough Council and Kirkcudbright Galleries for Dumfries and Galloway Council working together on bringing this exhibition to Scotland, and to our region. The changing exhibition programme allows for increased tourism to the area as there is always something new for visitors to enjoy.”
