Famous for his use of colour, Edinburgh-born Craigie Aitchison (1926-2009) originally studied law at Edinburgh University before deciding to change career and attended the Slade School of Art in London from 1952-1954.
In 1955 Aitchison received the British Council Italian Government Scholarship for painting where he travelled to Italy, which proved to be a significant influence on his work. By combining colours and style from the Italian Renaissance with the Scottish Colourists, Aitchison created his own visual language.
His first solo exhibition took place in 1959 at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London. He was nominated as an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1978 and Senior Member in 1988. In 1999 he was awarded a CBE for his contribution to British art.
A painter and printmaker known for his crucifixion paintings, landscapes, still lives and portrait studies of models, he created balanced and original compositions. From the 1960s onwards, Aitchison favoured working with West Indian and African models and the Nigerian model, Georgeous Macaulay, was the first black model the artist worked with, and he painted him repeatedly.
In this portrait Georgeous Macaulay is framed with delicate pink and cool turquoise hues, contrasting with the richness and warmth of his skin. Aitchison was intrigued by headgear and how the resulting shapes could become a focal point of a painting. Here it is the sou'wester, a traditional form of collapsible oilskin rain hat, that dominates the composition.
Famous for his colourful artworks throughout his career, Craigie Aitchison died in 2009.
Carys Tudor is Amgueddfa Cymru’s Digital Content Curator and has worked in the Museum’s art department since 2021. With a background in communications, she is passionate about offering opportunities for all voices to share their knowledge and expertise, making all subjects relevant and engaging. Carys is also interested in depictions of recent social and industrial history through art.
