Peter Howson: new retrospective reveals how Scots painter found redemption after Bosnian war
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Saturday, May 27, 2023
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Peter Howson’s story is one of seeking dignity in human suffering and violence, and finding redemption; it is also uniquely Scottish.
Key Points:
- Peter Howson’s story is one of seeking dignity in human suffering and violence, and finding redemption; it is also uniquely Scottish.
- When The Apple Ripens, Howson’s retrospective at Edinburgh City Arts Centre (27 May-1 October), is a timely showcase to celebrate his 65th year.
A Scottish sensibility
- An unmistakably Scottish feature of Howson’s work is the undertone of Calvinism with its God-fearing, joyless culture of toil and penitence.
- His unique perspective on the world reflects his experiences of living in the east end of Glasgow.
- Most of his early work portrayed caricatures of rough, masculine men with exaggerated musculature.
- At a time when Margaret Thatcher was in power, he called out the right-wing extremists and portrayed the dispossessed with dignity.
War and peace
- With an obsession around violence and warfare, Howson applied and was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the Bosnian civil war in 1993 as the official war artist.
- For Howson, life is about violence and confrontation, and in his words, encountering it makes him “feel alive”.
- But the war had a huge impact on Howson’s mental health and his personal relationships were damaged by his experiences.
- On his return, after a period of convalescence, he produced 300 pieces of powerful, shocking and controversial works of art.