EDWARD ARTHUR WALTON R.S.A., P.R.S.W., H.R.W.S (SCOTTISH 1860-1922)

EDWARD ARTHUR WALTON R.S.A., P.R.S.W., H.R.W.S (SCOTTISH 1860-1922)
THE OAK AND THE ASH
Signed, oil on canvas
98cm x 85cm (38.5in x 33.5in)
Presented by J. Greenlees, Esq., 1923.
Edward Arthur Walton is well-known as one of the significant figures within the loose network of artists now commonly referred to as the ‘Glasgow Boys.’ It can therefore be difficult to separate his life and work from this movement, but it does a disservice to Walton not to pay attention to the wider picture of his long and illustrious career. He made his way as an artist from his late teens all the way until the day of his death, and during this over-forty-year period he was elected to, and participated in, various institutions and artistic bodies across the U.K., exhibited and won prizes internationally, and was widely praised by critics and fellow artists alike. ‘Walton was a painter so distinguished that he held a special place in the regard…of all who followed with any intelligence or interest the development of art in the country during the last three or four decades’ – Daily Record and Mail, 12 January 1924 (quoted in Fiona MacSporran, Edward Arthur Walton, Foulis Archive Press, Glasgow, 1987, p.9)Throughout his career, Walton’s output was varied, working consistently in both oil and watercolour and developing a successful portraiture practice. He worked largely to commission, while he continued to excel in his favoured landscape subjects, which are suffused with atmosphere, light, and a sensitivity and freedom that remains utterly compelling. Working in both mediums, we can feel his joy and pleasure in the world around him. He converts atmosphere to paint, so we can feel the warming sun and gentle breeze, smell the air and feel that particular freshness that lifts the spirit when we are surrounded by nature. Yet, this feeling of spontaneity and freedom is underpinned by an artistic rigour so that every dappled brushstroke and area of exposed ground or canvas is considered and intentional. Walton pays particular attention to light and shade, picking out shadows in rich tones of cooler shades, the gentle contrast serving the overall harmony and charm of the finished painting. As Helen Weller observes:‘They are not, in spite of their beauty and charm, simply an emotional response to nature; they are carefully conceived, to the extent of using unusual surfaces and a barium ground to enrich the colour. Nothing is irrelevant or inconsidered. The smallest stroke of warm colour on the sleeve of a tiny figure set in cool shadow is wholly necessary.’- Helen Weller, E.A. Walton, Bourne Fine Art exhibition catalogue, Edinburgh, 1981.Sketching in the countryside surrounding Glasgow from an early age, Walton seems to have had family support for his early artistic enthusiasm and talent, as training was arranged for him at the Kunstacademie, Dusseldorf in 1876-77, while he was still in his teens. On his return, he commenced his career as an artist in Glasgow, and in 1878 exhibited at the Glasgow Institute and was elected to the Glasgow Art Club, while attending Glasgow School of Art, and winning local and national competitions. Artistic networks, friendships and connections were important for the development of the Glasgow Boys, and for Walton, in particular. He initially met James Guthrie, who would become a life-long friend, while Joseph Crawhall became connected to his family through marriage, commencing another important friendship. Further relationships developed with a wide range of artists through painting and travel, including George Henry, Arthur Melville, James Whitelaw Hamilton, Thomas Corsan Morton, Alexander Kellock Brown, J.D. Taylor and William York Macgregor. Walton’s great enthusiasm for landscape meant he was keen to capture different viewpoints and evoke varied atmospheres and so pursued painting with his friends and colleagues in locations as varied as Rosneath, Brig O’ Turk, Helensburgh, Cockburnspath, Somerset and Cambuskenneth.  All this exploration and artistic mingling proved potent, and by 1889 Walton could comfortably be called a successful, professional artist. That year he had received a full-page illustration in the April edition of the Scottish Art Review, was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Lord Provost King of Glasgow and was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy. In the same year, he also managed to visit Paris with Guthrie and to propose marriage to Helen Law at the Glasgow Art Club’s Grand Fancy Dress Ball, where he was dressed as Hokusai and his bride-to-be as ‘The Golden Butterfly,’ in homage to Whistler. Such was the Glasgow art scene at the time that John Lavery captured a quick sketch of the happy couple posing in their costumes.1890 was an important moment for the so-called ‘Glasgow School’ or ‘Glasgow Boys,’ as they received so much attention for their London exhibition at the Grosvenor Gallery, as well as their success in Munich. However, by 1893, Walton appears to have felt a little jaded with the Scottish scene and decided to move his family to London. There he remained well-connected to the wider artistic network, with Whistler his new neighbour, an artist whom he had admired for many years, even having petitioned Glasgow Museums to purchase one of his works. He worked to establish himself as a portrait painter over the ten-year period but following Whistler’s death, Guthrie persuaded Walton to return home. By 1904, Walton was settled in Edinburgh and would live the rest of his days as an established Scottish artist, confirmed by his promotion to full Academician of the R.S.A. in 1905. His wider artistic network remained strong, with even family holidays to Wenhaston bringing them into close contact with other artists, and Fra Newbery and his family becoming their temporary summertime neighbours. Walton continued to dedicate himself to painting. He participated in the mechanisations of various artworld establishments and received subsequent praise and continued high regard. He exhibited internationally, sending paintings to Munich, Paris, Berlin, St Louis and the Carnegie Institute internationals, and achieved many prizes and honours, including a Gold medal at the IX International in Munich.  Following his sudden and early death, his work remained in very high esteem with the Guthrie-arranged Memorial Exhibition of 150 of Walton’s works declared by a leading critic as ‘one of the most interesting one-man shows ever assembled.’ (MacSporran, p.93). [Quote in title: Helen Weller, E.A. Walton, Bourne Fine Art Exhibition catalogue, Edinburgh, 1981]