BATEAU JAUNE, THE SEINE – C.1938
64cm x 76cm (25in x 30in)
It is believed this work was painted c.1938, after MacBryde and Colquhoun’s traveling scholarship to France. A sketch of a Seine barge from the same date by his partner Robert Colquhoun appears in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland. The art historian and ‘Two Robert’s’ specialist Davy Brown posits that this early work may have been shown at their (first and last) show in their hometown of Kilmarnock, at The Green Street Gallery, where other French scenes from their travels were also exhibited. Several pieces sold to local buyers and remain in private hands, re-emerging on the open market exceedingly rarely.
The signature reads ‘McBryde’ which is the original and correct.
He changed the spelling to ‘Mac’ after a misprint in a review, reckoning that it helped him sound more Scottish.
On the reverse is an oil study of a nude, presumably made in the Art School’s life studio. It was not unusual for artists the reuse their materials due to the scarcity and cost during and after the War years
Barnum 28 cm x 44 cm.
