Symbolism
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of 15 works by George Henry, EA Hornel, DY Cameron and David Gauld which date from between 1888 and 1895. This collection represents the beginnings of the new Symbolist style through Henry's 'Autumn' (1888) and his acknowledged masterpiece 'A Galloway Landscape' (1889) which has invited comparison with Gauguin and the Pont Aven group. The Glasgow Boys became internationally recognized in part through two collaborative paintings by Henry and Hornel, 'The Druids – Bringing in the Mistletoe' (1890) and 'The Star in the East' (1891). The Druid subject matter, along with its the use of gold leaf and strange use of space, were revolutionary features at the time. Other notable works in the collection include 'Portrait Head' (1893) by Gauld and Henry's 'Japanese Lady with a Fan' (1894). The Glasgow Boys were a group of young Scottish artists, active from around 1880 and 1895, who reacted against the dominance and formal constraints employed by the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. By 1900 Glasgow was the British Empire's second city and the largest city in Scotland, making it an ideal location for a more progressive art practice. The Symbolist style of the Glasgow Boys, headed by George Henry and EA Hornel, was a development from the 'rustic realism' that had previously been the trademark of the group.
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