Painting of the Week - New Stock - Dorothy Johnstone
Portrait of Elspeth
This superb Scottish Impressionist exhibited portrait oil painting with excellent provenance is by noted Edinburgh female artist Dorothy Johnstone. Painted in 1958, it was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy that year and much later, in 1967, at the Royal Society Exhibition. Dorothy Johnstone, with her close friends Cecile Walton and Mary Newbery, was a member of The Edinburgh School, which reformed in 1919, a collective of gifted and progressive artists associated with the Edinburgh College of Art. From the summer of 1915, she became a regular annual visitor to Kirkcudbright in Galloway, where she would paint with other mainly female artists including Jessie M. King as part of the Kirkcudbright School. This superb portrait was painted in 1958 and the sitter is Elspeth. She is seated, arms resting in her lap and gazing to her right and smiling slightly. She is wearing a black, brown and silver stripped dress and a large silver cross on a chain. Beside her is a small table and vase and a curtain behind her. The contrast of her skin against the darker material is very effective and the details in her face are lovely. This is a super 1950's Scottish exhibited painting and an excellent example of Johnstone's work.
Signed and dated 1958 lower left.
Provenance Exhibited Royal Scottish Academy 1958 no. 118 entitled Elspeth.
Royal Society Exhibition 1967 label and artists labels verso.
James Bourlet label verso.
By descent through the artist's family.
Click link below for Johnstone
https://www.richardtaylorfineart.com/gallery/new/johnstone/portrait-of-elspeth