Sails, Venice

Brightly coloured painting of sailboats in a harbour painted in rough brushwork. The sails in bright orange and yellow colours nicely contrast with the blue of the sky, and are reflected in the blue of the water in the foreground, creating an interesting play with light, colours and reflections. Signed at lower left.

As an emerging painter, Hunter visited Paris in 1904 and again in 1907, at a time when French painting was brilliantly innovative. He was familiar with the works of great Impressionists, and now discovered the startlingly original pictures of Matisse and Cézanne. Taking this inspiration home to Scotland, together with the other three Colourists (Fergusson, Cadell, Peploe), Hunter is now recognised as one of the Scotland's leading artists of the early 20th century.

Here, in Sails, Venice, we can clearly see the influence of the French progressive painting, especially in the use of bright vivid colours applied in a rough impastoed manner with vigour and energy. It was not only French art, but also the coasts of Mediterranean that made a lasting impression on Hunter and he returned there regularly. This painting was made during one such visit to the continent in 1922, visiting various places along the coasts of Southern Europe, travelling through France and Italy. He found the effects of light on the waters of the lagoon in Venice to be a particularly powerful stimulus.

The painting was bequeathed in 1944 by William McInnes, who was an important 20th century benefactor of Glasgow Museums. A Glasgow ship owner who left to his native city his entire collection of over 70 paintings as well as prints, drawings, silver, ceramics and glass.

Credit: Bequeathed by William McInnes, 1944