Significant McTaggart art donation to town galleries

One of the most significant donations to Kirkcaldy Galleries' art collection in recent years was made at the Fife venue recently.
Carnoustie Bay comes to Kirkcaldy Galleries in significant new McTaggart donation. From left: Claire Hunter Chow, who  donated the painting; Heather Stuart, chief executive, Fife Cultural Trust and Gavin Grant, Fife Cultural Trust. Pic: George McLuskie.Carnoustie Bay comes to Kirkcaldy Galleries in significant new McTaggart donation. From left: Claire Hunter Chow, who  donated the painting; Heather Stuart, chief executive, Fife Cultural Trust and Gavin Grant, Fife Cultural Trust. Pic: George McLuskie.
Carnoustie Bay comes to Kirkcaldy Galleries in significant new McTaggart donation. From left: Claire Hunter Chow, who donated the painting; Heather Stuart, chief executive, Fife Cultural Trust and Gavin Grant, Fife Cultural Trust. Pic: George McLuskie.

The family of late Edinburgh woman Marjorie Gemmell Hunter have handed over a beautiful oil painting by William McTaggart, one of the country’s most respected artists.

The painting is called ‘Carnoustie Bay’ and depicts three children on a beach on Scotland’s east coast.

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Although McTaggart was born in the Mull of Kintyre and lived in Midlothian, he was drawn to Carnoustie from 1872 as he especially enjoyed creating new work there.

The donation was made by Claire Hunter Chow, who is Mrs Hunter’s daughter. She gifted the work in memory of her mother who came from Edinburgh and had family connections to Buckhaven.

Kirkcaldy Galleries, operated by Fife Cultural Trust on behalf of Fife Council, is devoted to paintings by McTaggart from the Council’s nationally renowned collections.

Heather Stuart, chief executive of the Trust, said: “This is a wonderful and very generous gift. We are very grateful to add it to the Museum collection so we can display and preserve it for future generations to enjoy. We already have a fantastic group of McTaggart works, many of them acquired from the collection of local linen manufacturer John Blyth in the 1960s and we are delighted to have the opportunity to collect another.”

Carnoustie hosts the 147th Open Golf Championship this summer and Kirkcaldy Galleries will debut the McTaggart painting next month.