DOI Heft:
No. 82 (December, 1903)
DOI Artikel:Van der Veer, Lenore: The work of the late George Wilson
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26230#0160
HE WORK OF THE LATE
GEORGE WILSON. BY LEO-
NORE VAN DER VEER.
THE first of the neglected artists' series of exhibi-
tions was opened at Mr. John Baillie's Art GaHery
in Princes Terrace, Lond'on, at the end of Sep-
tember, with the work of the iate Mr. George
Wilson, a Scottish painter of ability and charm.
On the ist of April, 1890, George Wilson died
at Castle Park, Huntiy, at the age of forty-one,
ieaving behind him some beautifui paintings,
which were, however, appreciated oniy by a very
few of his intimate friends ; for during his iifetime
he was practically a reciuse from art circles, known
and understood by few.
That during his working years Wiison's taient as
a painter, distinguished as it was by fine colour, a
characteristic quaiity and power of design, and
much feeling for beauty, should have gone un-
noticed seems scarceiy credible. It was not,
however, until several years after his death that
sufHcient interest was aroused, through the tireiess
efforts of his intimate and personal friends, for a
Collection of his work to be got together in an
exhibition at the rooms of the Aberdeen Artists'
Society. It was then that his name first became
known, not only to the art world, but to his own
country-people.
Concerning Wiison's life, little can be told be-
yond what he expressed in his pictures. He was
a man of considerable gifts, with a temperament
keyed to the most exquisite enjoyment of the fine
and beautifui. Modest and retiring of disposition,
he lived in an idealistic thought-atmosphere created
by his natural refmement of mind and visionary
nature. His impressions were gained through an
impulsive, vivid grasp of the thing before him,
and his work, though of the most careful and pains-
taking, was more the result of quickly-decided
execution than of quietly-thought-out detail.
Wilson painted because he loved to paint, and
to please himself rather than the great world
beyond his Studio walls, and he only painted the
things in nature that really appealed to him, and
that he loved because of their beauty or purity or
FROM THE PAINTING A BY GEORGE WILSON
139
GEORGE WILSON. BY LEO-
NORE VAN DER VEER.
THE first of the neglected artists' series of exhibi-
tions was opened at Mr. John Baillie's Art GaHery
in Princes Terrace, Lond'on, at the end of Sep-
tember, with the work of the iate Mr. George
Wilson, a Scottish painter of ability and charm.
On the ist of April, 1890, George Wilson died
at Castle Park, Huntiy, at the age of forty-one,
ieaving behind him some beautifui paintings,
which were, however, appreciated oniy by a very
few of his intimate friends ; for during his iifetime
he was practically a reciuse from art circles, known
and understood by few.
That during his working years Wiison's taient as
a painter, distinguished as it was by fine colour, a
characteristic quaiity and power of design, and
much feeling for beauty, should have gone un-
noticed seems scarceiy credible. It was not,
however, until several years after his death that
sufHcient interest was aroused, through the tireiess
efforts of his intimate and personal friends, for a
Collection of his work to be got together in an
exhibition at the rooms of the Aberdeen Artists'
Society. It was then that his name first became
known, not only to the art world, but to his own
country-people.
Concerning Wiison's life, little can be told be-
yond what he expressed in his pictures. He was
a man of considerable gifts, with a temperament
keyed to the most exquisite enjoyment of the fine
and beautifui. Modest and retiring of disposition,
he lived in an idealistic thought-atmosphere created
by his natural refmement of mind and visionary
nature. His impressions were gained through an
impulsive, vivid grasp of the thing before him,
and his work, though of the most careful and pains-
taking, was more the result of quickly-decided
execution than of quietly-thought-out detail.
Wilson painted because he loved to paint, and
to please himself rather than the great world
beyond his Studio walls, and he only painted the
things in nature that really appealed to him, and
that he loved because of their beauty or purity or
FROM THE PAINTING A BY GEORGE WILSON
139