Idyll in Spring

The Scottish artist Edward Atkinson Hornel studied at the academies in Edinburgh and Antwerp and became a member of the so-called ‘Glasgow Boys’, a group of progressive painters that also included James Guthrie (inv. 1892-B). A journey to Japan resulted in a series of paintings focusing on that country and in a more graphic approach. But he gradually abandoned the…

The Scottish artist Edward Atkinson Hornel studied at the academies in Edinburgh and Antwerp and became a member of the so-called ‘Glasgow Boys’, a group of progressive painters that also included James Guthrie (inv. 1892-B). A journey to Japan resulted in a series of paintings focusing on that country and in a more graphic approach. But he gradually abandoned the oriental theme in favour of motifs that were more accessible and recognisable to the Scottish public, preferably scenes of children in green settings, usually painted in pastel colours, such as Spring Idyll.