John Dobbie (1895-)
| Artist Name | John Dobbie (1895-) |
|---|---|
| Title | Bric-A Brac - Scottish Interior Portrait |
| Description | This fantastic Scottish Art Deco exhibited interior portrait oil painting is by Glasgow artist John Dobbie. It was painted in 1933 and exhibited that year at the Glasgow Institue of Fine Art and entitled Bric-a-Brac. The painting is of a dark haired woman, dressed in oriental style clothes, sitting on the floor. She is gazing to her left, her arms by her sides. In front of her are a couple of chinese figurines and a jewlery box with necklaces of amber, jade and seashells spilling out on the floor. Beside her one can see the ornate legs and carved body of a cabinet and possibly a red curtain behind her. The brushwork and splashes of vibrant colour are superb. One can only speculate at the intimate, domestic nature of the composition and to whom the female sitter may be - lover? sister? and why it was entitled Bric-Brac and not the sitter's name and indeed where the location may be. Dobbie would have been 38 when he painted this painting and was living at 65 West Regent Street, Glasgow. It is an intriguing Scottish Art Deco painting with excellent exhibition provenance and utterly charming, whatever the story behind it may be. Signed lower right. |
| Provenance | Exhibited at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Art, 1933 no. 525 entitled Bric-a-Brac. Old label verso with artist's details. James McClure label verso. |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Size | 33 x 43 inches |
| Frame | Housed in its original exhibition ornate frame, 51 inches by 40 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | John Dobbie, born 04/02/1895, began his studies at The Glasgow School of Art in 1912. He lived in Greenbank, Helensburgh, and he was a day student in Drawing and Painting until 1914. He then left and did not return to the school until the 1919-20 session. We can speculate that his absence was linked to the war. A John Dobbie of Greenbank Cottage, Helensburgh joined up in 1917. He joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 20 March 1917 when he was 22. His enrolment paper describes him as a student. His military record shows that he was wounded in action on 31 July 1917 with a gun shot wound to his right shoulder and arm. He also appears to have been a private in the Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders). The medal cards index records Deserted 10/9/17 Not rejoined. He was entitled to the British War Medal 1914-19 and the Victory Medal. When Dobbie returned to The Glasgow School of Art in 1919, he was registered as living in Langside and his occupation was 'student'. He once again attended as a day student in Drawing and Painting and continued these studies until the 1922-23 session. At this point he stopped his day classes and instead became an evening student. He is noted as having studied etching during this period and by the end of 1923 – his final year at GSA – he had gained his diploma qualifying him as a teacher. In January 1927, aged 31 and with the occupation 'teacher', John Dobbie departed for Australia aboard the steamship 'Largs Bay'. However he clearly returned to Britain as he is noted in the Scottish National Probate Index as residing in Windsor Terrace, Helensburgh in 1934 when his father (John Dobbie, a retired joiner from Greenbank, Helensburgh) died. In addition, records of paintings exhibited in Royal Scottish Academy Exhibitions show that Dobbie exhibited in 1920, 1921, 1923, 1932 and 1933. From 1920-23 he is listed as residing in Langside, and from 1932 in West Regent Street, Glasgow. Records of works exhibited with the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts show Dobbie exhibiting 1924-25, and 1932-35. From 1924-25 Dobbie is listed as residing in West George Street (Glasgow), from 1932-34 in West Regent Street (Glasgow), then in 1935 - the year after his father's death - he returns to Greenbank, Helensburgh. Archives and Collections - The Glasgow School of Art. |
| Price | SOLD |
