Northern Gothic

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William JOHNSTONE
Born Denholm, Roxburghshire, 1897-1981

Northern Gothic, circa 1960

Acrylic on canvas
Presented 1977 by Mrs. Hope Montague Douglas Scott
Museum number 4-1977

After 20 years teaching in two London art schools, Camberwell and Central, William Johnstone returned to the Scottish Borders to paint. His work underwent a period of extraordinary renaissance beginning with the Northern Gothic Series.

This work has the 'suggestions of a night landscape, black houses and trees on the horizons and lights flashing in the dark background; a monochrome of solid blacks and whites and mediating translucent greys, dramatic in its contrasts, yet contained by the simplicity of the three tones and by the just perceptible, underlying horizontals.'