William George Gillies

Sir William George Gillies CBE RA (21 September 1898 – 15 April 1973) was a renowned Scottish landscape and still life painter.

[1] After the War, he returned to the College, and after graduation taught there for over 40 years with other notable Scottish artists including Adam Bruce Thomson.

The arrangement of the objects, which are close together on a tilted table top, are influenced by Cézanne, whereas the understated colours and textures are reminiscent of Braque and Picasso.

Gillies has created a grid-like composition, using bold blocks of contrasting colour emphasising the vertical lines of the buildings and the ships masts.

Although he experimented with portraiture in his early career, Gillies concentrated principally on landscapes and still lifes, frequently depicting the Lothian, Fife and Border regions.