The quiet man of Scottish art and the search for his lost works

So much so, that although he was well-respected by his peers and had a teaching career at Edinburgh College of Art that saw him nurture a generation of artists, few Scots are likely to know his name.

North Bridge and Salisbury Crags (1934) by Adam Bruce Thomson (Image: Contributed)

Now the first ever major retrospective in a public gallery to explore his life and work aims to rectify decades of near obscurity, in the hope it might inspire fresh appreciation of his talent.

And, with Edinburgh-born Thomson’s name finally in the spotlight, that it might also unearth long lost examples of his art.

It’s thought a significant number of Thomson’s artworks are hanging in homes and private collections with owners oblivious to just how significant an artist he was.

“He kept some records and there are photographs of his work, so we know they existed, but we have no idea where they ended up,” says Dr Helen Scott, curator of the exhibition of his work being held at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre.

“I am sure there must be works out there owned by private individuals who are not familiar with his name.

Mary (1936) by Adam Bruce Thomson (Image: Contributed)

“They may see ‘Thomson’ written on the corner of the canvas, but it doesn’t mean anything to them.

“My hope is that we can get his name out there, so people might look at the painting hanging over the mantlepiece and find it’s one of his.”

Thomson was among the earliest intake of students to train at Edinburgh College of Art following its establishment in 1908. He went on to serve various roles with the Royal Scottish Academy and receive an OBE.

But despite gaining respect from his peers and being a member of the so-called Edinburgh School of artists that included Sir William Gillies and Anne Redpath, he remained in the background while his contemporaries took the spotlight.

The River Tweed (1966) Adam Bruce Thomson (Image: Contributed)

Dr Scott says his natural modesty and understated approach meant he did not become as well-known as some of his fellow artists.

“Adam Bruce Thomson was such a talented, versatile artist, who remains mostly unknown, even in his native Edinburgh,” she says.

“Despite making a significant impact on 20th century Scottish art, he was extremely modest about his achievements, and has become something of an art historical footnote, overshadowed by bigger names.

“His contribution to 20th century modern art is largely unexplored. “

Born in 1885, he worked across a range of media, mastering various printmaking techniques, drawing in pastels, and painting in oils and watercolours.

His subject-matter spanned portraiture, still life, architecture and landscape themes.

Edinburgh Canal Basin c.1913 Adam Bruce Thomas (Image: Contributed)

It meant in his role as a teacher at Edinburgh College of Art, he was able to tutor students across a wide array of specialisms.

In the flourishing art scene of the early 20th century, he was among the group known as the Edinburgh School, a group of talented artists connected through the city's College of Art, Edinburgh-based exhibition bodies such as the Royal Scottish Academy and bonded by experiences of the First World War.

But Dr Scott says Thomson's self-deprecating nature meant he was more likely to pour his energy into supporting successive cohorts of young artists then trumpeting his own works.

“He was always very modest about his own achievements; a real gentleman and who was reluctant to promote himself over other people.

“He was a prolific artist who was proud of his work - he knew he was doing good work. But it seems it was just his mentality that he wasn’t someone who pushed himself forward.”

He held only three solo exhibitions in his lifetime, and that reluctance to hog the spotlight or hold regular solo exhibitions could be why his name is less well-known than others of his era.

The Road to Ben Cruachan 1932 by Adam Bruce Thomson (Image: Contributed)

As a result, Dr Scott believes that there will be examples of his paintings hanging on walls, with owners unaware of just who the artist was.

She adds: “When paintings are shown in galleries, the artist’s name becomes bigger and better known.

“But his works are held privately and were not as widely exhibited, so didn’t have the same reach as his contemporaries’.

Read more from Sandra Dick:

• £5m lottery windfall saves Mavisbank, the crumbling 300-year-old architectural gem
• LED lights give strawberries special diet powers, reveal Scots researchers
• Long lost photos are a flashback to when steamers ruled the waves

“My hope is that this exhibition might put him back in the spotlight and shine a light on his work.

“I would love it if people came forward and said they have an artwork by him," she adds.

“It’s so tantalising to think there are pieces out there and that they might turn up.”

More than 100 paintings and drawings from public and private collections, including the National Galleries of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy, have been gathered for the exhibition that charts his extensive career, from his early student compositions to the evocative Scottish landscapes of his maturity.

Edinburgh from Blackford by Adam Bruce Thomson (Image: Contributed)

The exhibition is accompanied by a book written by Dr Scott with a foreword by novelist Sir Alexander McCall Smith.

He describes Thomson as “a very fine artist who has not received the attention he is undoubtedly due.

“Attention to the work of Adam Bruce Thomson is long overdue and much welcomed," he says.

Adam Bruce Thomson: The Quiet Path is at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre until  October 6. Entry Free.