Craigie Aitchison (painter)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons named Craigie Aitchison, see Craigie Aitchison (disambiguation).

Craigie Aitchison, RA, CBE (born 13 January 1926), is a Scottish painter. He is known for his many paintings of the Crucifixion,[1] one of which hangs behind the altar in the Chapter House of Liverpool Cathedral.[2]

He was born in Kincardine-on-Forth, Scotland, the son of the lawyer, politician and judge Craigie Mason Aitchison.[3] He studied law at Edinburgh University from 1944-46 and at the Middle Temple in London in 1948,[4] before changing career and studying at the Slade School of Fine Art in London from 1952 to 1954.

In 1955 he was awarded a British Council scholarship to study in Italy, where he was particularly influenced by early Italian painting.[3]

His first solo exhibition was held in London in 1959, and he has held further solo exhibitions were throughout the United Kingdom. His paintings have included in many group shows around the world since 1964, and in three retrospective exhibitions.[5]

Aitchison became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1978, and in 1988 he was elected as one of the 80 Members of the Royal Academy (or Royal Academicians).[5] He resigned from the Academy in 1997 in protest over the display of Marcus Harvey's work Myra,[6] but rejoined in 1998.[7] He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.

Several of his works are held in the collection of the Tate Gallery.[8] Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery[9] and the National Galleries of Scotland[10] also own works.

He lives and works in London and in Italy.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jenni Davis, Sacred Art, Jarrold Publishing, 2005, p22. ISBN 1841651559
  2. ^ Arabella McIntyre-Brown, Liverpool: The First 1000 Years, Capsica Ltd., 2001, p123. ISBN 1904099009
  3. ^ a b The British Council: Craigie Aitchison
  4. ^ Tate gallery: Carigie Aitchison
  5. ^ a b Royal Academy: Craigie Aitchison
  6. ^ Julian Stallabrass, High Art Lite: British Art in the 1990s, Verso, 1999, p208. ISBN 1859847218
  7. ^ racollection.org.uk, accessed 5 October, 2007.
  8. ^ tate.org
  9. ^ bmagic.org.uk
  10. ^ nationalgalleries.org


United Kingdom This biographical article about a painter from the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.