JOHN MACLAUCHLAN MILNE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1885-1957)
RED FLOWERS
Signed, oil on canvas
61cm x 51cm (24in x 20in)
Purchased from the Artist by the father of the present owner
Exhibited: Dundee Art Galleries & Museums, John Maclauchlan Milne RSA 1885-1957: A Centenary Exhibition, 14 September-19 October 1985, no.35 Roseangle Gallery, Dundee, An Exhibition of the Work of John Maclauchlan Milne 1885-1957, 25 June-23 July 2022, no. 23  The striking diagonal composition of Red Flowers, from the drapery in the left-hand foreground to the red flowerhead at the upper right, is combined with a primary palette of red, white and blue. Adventurous aspects, such as the textile occupying almost a quarter of the image and the assured signature applied – and indeed underlined – across it, show an artist working with confidence. A more classical approach is taken to the arrangement of the figurine and other items upon a reflective table-top. Maclauchlan Milne’s enjoyment of the curves of stems, leaves and petals is clear and is echoed, in part, in the decoration of the jug. As pointed out by the artist’s biographer, Maurice Millar, he began to paint still lifes in about 1925 and is believed to have continued working in the genre until at least 1934. (email to Alice Strang of 14 April 2024). The current painting is a fine example, imbued, as it is, with colour and verve.We are grateful to Maurice Millar, author of The Missing Colourist: The Search for John Maclauchlan Milne RSA (privately published in 2022 and available via The Missing Colourist website) for his help with our research.