his is a beautiful original pen and ink drawing by the celebrated Scottish artist, Edward Gage (1925 - 2000).
He was widely known in Scotland as an artist, and also worked as an art critic for "The Scotsman" newspaper. Gage also produced illustrations for a number of publications, including the "Radio Times".
He was born in Gullane, East Lothian in 1925 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art.
Sadly, his artistic career was cut short for a time, when he joined the Scots Guards in 1941 and then in the Royal Scots Regiment. He served as a staff officer in India and Malaya from 1945 - 1947.
He returned to Edinburgh to complete his studies and in 1950 was awarded a travelling scholarship to Mallorca, Spain - where he befriended the poet, Robert Graves.
Gage had ten one-man exhibitions between 1964 and 1986, besides contributing paintings to group exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, and elsewhere.
He taught at Fettes College, Napri College, and at Edinburgh College of Art.
From 1960 to 1964 he was President of the Scottish Society of Artists - and in 1992 he was made an MBE for services to Scottish Art.
He died in 2000, aged 74.
Examples of this work are in the National Galleries of Scotland (12 works) and the collection of the City of Edinburgh Council.
Gage shared William Blake’s belief about art being a spiritual activity and Gage certainly had unwavering Christian faith. He was quiet in his faith, which often found expression in the tender, unsentimental drawings of the Madonna and Child with which, year by year, he adorned his Christmas cards.
This is a large-scale pen and ink drawing of a Madonna and Child - it is quite probably his initial sketch for one of his Christmas Cards.
This fine study is beautifully executed - with the Madonna and Baby Jesus, who are shown in an arch - with pillars below and to the side tall lit candles - it has the feel of being drawn in a Spanish church and might have been made on one of his many holidays to Spain. The work is entitled: Gloria in Excelsis Deo - the hymn where the angels announce in song the birth of Christ.
It is certainly a skilled drawing and Gage's attention to detail is impressive. This work is a bit rarer in his oeuvre as it is a large-scale study in pen and ink - Gage's preferred and more common medium was watercolour.
It is signed below, as photographed.
Image: 34 x 46 cm; Frame size: 46.5 x 59 cm
The drawing is currently beautifully presented in a nice frame and ready to hang. Being a larger-sized work - and glazed - this pushes up the postage price - but if you live locally we could look at delivery or pick-up arrangements to save on postage.
Condition: There is a little spotting to the sheet towards the bottle margin - but this is of a most minor nature and it is not distracting in any way - on a stylistic basis (it is not dated) it looks like it dates to around the 1960s. The sheet is generally nice and clean - and without major problems.
More photographs can be provided on request for serious interest.
There is currently a growing interest in Scottish artists of the Edinburgh School working in the 1940s - 70s, and Edward Gage is certainly an artist and name to conjure with - and there is at present a much-renewed interest in his work in the salerooms and market.
UK Postage only - with Parcelforce24