An exhibition organised by the British Council in association with the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

The term ‘School of London’ was coined by Kitaj in 1976 to denote a disparate collection of London-based artists, united in their commitment to the human form which, at the time, seemed to leave them somewhat marginalised in terms of critical acclaim and attention. Since then, their reputations have steadily grown and their individual contributions to 20th century painting have been increasingly recognised.

A fully illustrated catalogue on Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach and Kitaj, the six core artists of the ‘School of London’’ was published to accompany the exhibition; it included essays by Richard Calvocoressi, selector the exhibition, the art historian David Cohen, and a personal appreciation by Bruce Bernard, a long-time friend (and photographer) of Bacon, Freud, Andrews and Auerbach. All the paintings are reproduced as full-page colour plates. ISBN 0 86355 288 9

Collection Artist(s)

Glossary

  • Painting

    Work of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is a tightly stretched piece of canvas, paper or a wooden panel. Painting involves a wide range of techniques and materials, along with the artist's intellectual concerns effecting the content of a work.