Inspired at Fidra Fine Art in Gullane features works by leading contemporary Scottish artists who have taken inspiration from their favourite works in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. The spark for the exhibition came when gallery owner Alan Rae learned in a Lucian Freud biography that the artist had contributed work to a similar exhibition based on works in London’s National Gallery collection. 

Alan says, ‘There is a historical precedence for this. Scottish artists have long travelled far and wide in search of inspiration from other artists. Travel scholarships encouraged artists to expose themselves to foreign landscapes and new schools of artistic thought. The Glasgow Boys, for example, threw off the often sentimental, romantic landscape tradition which was the fashion of the time and returned with an entirely modern and exciting new school of painting.’

There are 32 interpretations in the exhibition and alongside each piece are a few words from the artists and a QR Code which links to the inspiration piece on the National Galleries of Scotland website.