John Bellany

John Bellany CBE RA HRSA

John Bellany is one of the most influential Scottish painters since the Second World War. Throughout his career he has painted elemental allegories encompassing the complexities of the human condition. His work is anchored in the rich poetry of the sea and its myths, making Bellany the perfect artist to collaborate with George Bruce, also a poet of the sea. The two portfolios Woman of the North Sea and The Sacred Sea are the magnificent result of this rewarding collaboration.

As John Bellany’s work developed, his iconography became broader – tackling the universality of humanity – pain, sorrow, life and death. His painting is powerful, vibrant and often expressed in astonishing explosions of colour. But his work can also be lyrical, revealing an acute sensitivity to the turmoil of life. He has been awarded numerous honours for his towering contribution to Scottish art.

He works in London, Edinburgh and Barga, Italy.