The Grand Canal - Venice
John Cunningham
oil on canvas

John Cunningham’s obituary in The Glasgow Herald, 1998, began ‘Dr John Cunningham's death at the age of 72 robs Glasgow of one of its most endearing, well-known and colourful art-world stalwarts’. Cunningham was indeed a successful West of Scotland artist, with his work continuing in the tradition of the Scottish Colourists and being much sought after by collectors in Scotland and across the world. He was born in Lanarkshire in 1926 and studied at Glasgow School of Art, where he later became a senior lecturer. He won the Torrance Award as well as the MacFarlane, Carcill and Scottish Amicable Awards.

His work generally depicts Scottish subjects, like his paintings of Ardnamurchan and Strathaven, where he spent a lot of his leisure time. ‘The Grand Canal, Venice’, is therefore quite unusual for a Cunningham but still displays the bright colour and vibrancy typical in his work. The College is particularly indebted to Cunnningham for his help in supervising the repair of the old paintings in our collection and in selecting, framing and hanging the new. Most of his work is now displayed in the Museums and Galleries of Glasgow.