John Bellany (1942 – 2013)

Biography: Born in Port Seton, a small close-knit Scottish fishing community, John Bellany CBE RA HRSA studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. Admired by his contemporaries, he was a commited, passionate painter, sticking to his vision, described as, at once, a realist, expressionist and surrealist, with influences from such artists as James Ensor and Max Beckman. Living close to poverty in London and scraping by through a variety of part-time teaching positions for a number of years, he started to achieve wider recognition during the 1980s, despite a serious alcohol problem, and in 1986 he notably became the first artist to have a one-man show in the National Portrait Gallery, London. After a life-saving liver transplant Bellany later enjoyed wide admiration and acclaim and exhibited all over the world. His work is held in numerous collections and national galleries internationally.