David Macbeth Sutherland RSA (1883–1973) | Estuary, Loch Carron | Original Scottish Ink & Wash

An expressive original ink-and-wash landscape by the Scottish artist David Macbeth Sutherland RSA (1883–1973), depicting the estuary at Loch Carron in the northwest Highlands of Scotland.

Painted in sweeping washes of black and grey, the composition captures the dramatic landscape of the west coast, with its steep hillsides, winding shoreline, wooded slopes and sheltered waters. Small boats sit in the distant loch, surrounded by mountains.

There is a wonderful freedom to Sutherland's brushwork. Broad, confident marks describe the landscape with remarkably little detail, giving the painting an almost abstract quality.

Exhibited at Aberdeen Art Gallery in 1974, with provenance from the artist's family estate.

Exhibition History and Provenance

This painting retains its original exhibition label from Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum, identifying it as Estuary, Loch Carron by D. M. Sutherland, exhibited in 1974.

It formed part of the memorial exhibition D. M. Sutherland MC, LLD, RSA, 1883–1973, held at Aberdeen Art Gallery from 5 to 26 October 1974, following the artist's death the previous year.

The painting also retains a handwritten ownership label naming Dr Dorothy A. Sutherland of Prestatyn, North Wales.

Dr Dorothy Anne Sutherland is understood to have been the daughter of David Macbeth Sutherland and his wife, the distinguished Scottish artist Dorothy Johnstone ARSA (1892–1980). Her name is also associated with the family's stewardship of the artist's work in Aberdeen Art Gallery records.

The painting was acquired from the Sutherland family estate, providing a particularly interesting connection to two important figures in twentieth-century Scottish art.

The reverse also carries a historic label from J. Davey & Sons, picture framers of Manchester.

About the Artist

David Macbeth Sutherland was born in Wick, Caithness, in 1883. He studied in Edinburgh at the Royal Scottish Academy Life School under Charles Hodge Mackie, whose influence helped shape his approach to painting.

In 1910 he won the prestigious Carnegie Travelling Scholarship, enabling him to study and paint in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. His exposure to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism would have a lasting influence on his work.

He joined the teaching staff at Edinburgh College of Art in 1913, where he became an influential teacher, encouraging a more expressive and colourful approach to painting.

Sutherland was closely associated with the Edinburgh Group, alongside artists including William Gillies, John Maxwell, Mary Newbery and Dorothy Johnstone.

In 1924 he married Dorothy Johnstone, herself an accomplished painter and an important figure in Scottish art. The couple became closely associated with the artistic life of Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

In 1933 Sutherland was appointed Head of Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, remaining there until his retirement in 1948.

During the Second World War, he worked as an official war artist, recording the work of Newfoundland lumberjacks in the forests of Deeside.

Elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1936, Sutherland continued to paint throughout his life, particularly favouring the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, the west coast and Brittany.

His work is represented in important Scottish public collections, including Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy.

Sutherland died at Plockton in 1973.

Estuary, Loch Carron is a particularly attractive example of his expressive landscape painting, with the additional interest of documented exhibition history and provenance from the artist's family estate.