Sotheby’s annual Scottish sale has moved from August in Gleneagles to September in London with 152 lots estimated at around £2.4m:
Opening the sale is a strong group of works by the Glasgow Boys. Esteemed by collectors and academics alike, the artists are enjoying a renaissance, as witnessed by a retrospective currently on view at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, soon to relocate to the Royal Academy in London. These young Scottish artists came to prominence in the mid-1880s and very quickly established a distinct and influential presence on the Scottish arts scene. They were avidly supported by the new collectors created by Glasgow’s burgeoning economy. Never a formal group, the Glasgow Boys were often identified as such, no doubt arising from their shared confrontation of the conventional Scottish arts establishment. Overshadowed by the Colourist Group, these artists are at the helm of a full scale revival of interest and the works on offer in Sotheby’s sale will further strengthen their appeal.
