Donald Urquart is considered one of the leading Scottish artists of his generation. Originally from Perthshire, his art is often inspired by the natural landscape. While this sketchbook demonstrates some of his studies of nature, there are also a variety of human and everyday subjects expertly drawn in charcoal and pencil.
This sketchbook was completed in 1982 during a period of study Urquhart undertook at the Prado Museum in Madrid as part of the Richard Ford Award. The sketchbook captures a plethora of scenes from his time abroad, bringing the vibrant capital to life in simple black and white. These are often accompanied by descriptive annotations that offer an insight into how Urquhart interacted with his environment, including notes from his studies of masterpieces such as Diego Velaquez’s Las Meninas (page 40).
Following his return to Glasgow in 1983, Urquhart continued to travel extensively across Europe, North America, and India. This variety of locations inspired what Urquhart refers to as a form of ‘visual thinking’ that allows him to distil what he sees into three-dimensional scenes.
