Robert Colquhoun
Works
Exhibitions
Biography
Necromancer, 1949
Robert Colquhoun (1914–1962) was a Scottish painter, printmaker, and theatre designer whose expressive, often haunting imagery made him one of the most compelling figures in mid-20th-century British art. Born in Kilmarnock, Colquhoun studied at the Glasgow School of Art, where he formed a lifelong creative partnership with Robert MacBryde. Together, they became central to the Neo-Romantic movement, celebrated for their intense, emotionally charged depictions of figures and still lifes.
Colquhoun’s work of the 1940s and 1950s is marked by angular forms, elongated bodies, and a sense of psychological tension. Influenced by Picasso, Modigliani, and European Expressionism, he developed a distinctive visual language in paintings such as *The Lovers* (1946) and *Two Figures* (1949). His monotypes and prints reveal a mastery of graphic composition, often using stark contrasts and simplified forms to convey emotional gravity. Colquhoun was widely exhibited during his lifetime, with notable shows at the Lefevre Gallery and international venues in Europe and the United States.
He also contributed significantly to theatre design, creating sets and costumes that mirrored the dramatic qualities of his visual art. Despite early acclaim, Colquhoun’s career was curtailed by personal struggles, and his reputation experienced fluctuations after his death. Today, his works are held in the Tate, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and numerous regional museums, where they are increasingly recognized for their role in shaping postwar British modernism. Colquhoun’s art remains an evocative testament to human vulnerability and expressive form.
Colquhoun’s work of the 1940s and 1950s is marked by angular forms, elongated bodies, and a sense of psychological tension. Influenced by Picasso, Modigliani, and European Expressionism, he developed a distinctive visual language in paintings such as *The Lovers* (1946) and *Two Figures* (1949). His monotypes and prints reveal a mastery of graphic composition, often using stark contrasts and simplified forms to convey emotional gravity. Colquhoun was widely exhibited during his lifetime, with notable shows at the Lefevre Gallery and international venues in Europe and the United States.
He also contributed significantly to theatre design, creating sets and costumes that mirrored the dramatic qualities of his visual art. Despite early acclaim, Colquhoun’s career was curtailed by personal struggles, and his reputation experienced fluctuations after his death. Today, his works are held in the Tate, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and numerous regional museums, where they are increasingly recognized for their role in shaping postwar British modernism. Colquhoun’s art remains an evocative testament to human vulnerability and expressive form.