Fife painting by renowned Scottish colourist could fetch £60,000 at auction

The Mill Dam was painted by George Leslie Hunter in 1923, and is of a number of works going under the hammer at the prestigious Woolley & Wallis Salerooms in Salisbury next week. Also up for auction are six works by Methil-born William Gear, best known for his abstract work and the collection depicts that style.

Hunter was one of four Scottish colourists which included Samual Peploe, whose work is showcased at Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery which holds the largest collection of his paintings aside from the National Galleries of Scotland.

Hunter was raised in California, but relocated to Fife where he worked on a cousin’s farm. His painting of the Mill Dam bears a portrait of Tom Honeyman, a former director of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery on the reverse. The painting, which features on the catalogue cover, has a sale estimate of between £40,000 and £60,000 and is one of three Hunter originals going to auction. The Quayside, Fife, is valued at between £10,000 and £15,000 and Torcello, a scene from Venice, is expected to fetch between £20,000 and £30,000.

Victor Fauvelle, paintings specialist, said: “We have a strong base of buyers interested in works by Scottish artists, so they always attract a great deal of attention. We are particularly pleased to include outstanding work by two of the Scottish Colourists in this auction. Their use of light and colour, although they used them in different ways, was very radical compared to the style of Scottish art at the time so I’m sure that they, along with the Craigie Aitchison, will appeal to many buyers.”

The auction takes place at The Old Sarum Galleries, Salisbury on Wednesday, December 13.