To clarify things immediately I will say that, yes, he was named after the Scottish C19 minister.
Of the sculpture in the sale I have much less to say. They are typical good McCheyne works from-mostly the early part of his career. My purpose here is to note some memories of the artist and to express my enthusiasm for the drawings-many of which I have seen in his studio but some of which were also a surprise to me.My information about him and his work comes from conversations with the artist. (Where an item is in the sale I have given a lot number.)
A product of what sounds like a fine educational system Murray McCheyne went to Kirkcaldy Grammar School and then to art school in Edinburgh. His schooldays seem to have been the start of a substantial interest in literature.(He was enthusiastic about The Seven Pillars of Wisdom when he was young). He was fortunate enough to go to art school when drawing was still valued.Drawing is a tool for thought as well as communication.
He and Isabel a fellow art student and another Fifer had a long engagement.Before his appointment to Newcastle he did some work with Sandy Carrick. But in the Thirties there was not a great call for sculpture and war was looming. McCheyne exhibited two figures at the Glasgow Empire Exhibition in 1938 -Bella and Houston he called them after the park where the exhibition was held. His work at this time related much more to the Scandinavian tradition.The response to Moore's ideas comes after the war.
He came to Newcastle as his only teaching post and remained here all his life. His appointment was scarcely made before he was conscripted.
The Blue House, Olympia,1937, lino-cut, cut 1937,printed 1973 |
The Thessaloniki drawing , Lot 155 is rather good a strong composition and with bold black wash.
As a student he had headed for Greece and Scandinavia rather than Paris.The view from Edinburgh was not the same as that from London. He was a year in Copenhagen studying at the Academy with Einar Utzon- Frank. So the Danish capital provides the subject for the drawing of Kongens Nytorv the park in the centre of the city which is No 150 in the sale and done during his student year. He went back with Isobel in later years.
Street in Thessaloniki,1937. |
Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen,1937. Lot 150 |
Wartime saw McCheyne enlisted and at first and with the usual military lack of insight he was sent of to do something totally inappropriate for his background . Later, as one of the odd-bods he was sent to work on camouflage at Farnham. It was there that he met the pastellist Guy Roddon who was to become a lifelong friend. One of Murray's drawings of an off-duty soldier is in the Imperial War Museum along with a few relics of his wartime service. This fine, large drawing shows a room which he and his friends had rented for off-duty relaxation.The soldier reclines on an old sofa.(See below)
His 1940 ink drawing listed in the catalogue as ON KIMMON HILL, No154 is very free, perhaps not the kind of drawing you would associate with a sculptor. (Did Moore or Gill or Rodin have much interest in landscape-not really, I think). I cannot throw any light on the actual place.
He took many photos of modern sculpture and of his own works. At one point he made a cine film about the Hatton's Rysbrack sculpture.He wanted to use one of Britten's slighter pieces as background music but this was refused. Murray was very knowledgeable about tape-recorders and such-like devices.
He was always interested in Scandinavian design (So too his wife Isobel, also an artist.) It was Murray who first mentioned Nielsen's music to me. Their home at 38 High Street, Gosforth was decorated in a light clean, modern way and one of the chief features in the sitting room was a very large cast of a Cycladic figure which a friend had brought back from Greece for him.He also owned a cast of the "Mourning Athena" which hangs on the wall beside me as I type.At the back of the house Murray had a small, purpose-built studio for drawing and sketch works.
He and Isabel were often in the Borders and for some time had a caravan at Ettrick. He had relatives also at Moniaive.The borders, towards Dumfriesshire and Galloway provided many subjects for drawings both early and late. He drew at Glencairn Kirkyard in 1939 a large drawing in ink (not in the sale). He would not have parted with his drawing of Ettrick Bridge in his lifetime I think.
Ettrick Bridge End,1937, Lot152 |
Mossyard 3, 1972, Lot162. |
The plant drawings are confident and clear. You would not guess that they are the late work of an artist not in the best of health.
Scindapsus 1,Lot 163 |
Urban Landscape,1971,Lot 169. |
2 comments:
Thanks for giving me link to this body of work Jim. Most of these works were unknown to me and gave me an interesting insight into what Murray was doing in the latter part of his life. I shall save a copy of this to study at leisure.
You are more than welcome. Sorry I am so slow with checking comments!
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