Alison Watt

A Portrait Without Likeness: a conversation with the art of Allan Ramsay

Tom Normand author Julie Lawson author Andrew O'Hagan author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:National Galleries of Scotland

Published:26th Apr '21

Should be back in stock very soon

Alison Watt cover

A unique insight into the ways in which one of today's leading artists is inspired by great works of the past. In 16 emphatically modern new paintings, renowned artist, Alison Watt, responds to the remarkable delicacy of the female portraits by eighteenth-century Scottish portraitist, Allan Ramsay. Watt's new works are particularly inspired by Ramsay's much-loved portrait of his wife, along with less familiar portraits and drawings. Watt shines a light on enigmatic details in Ramsay's work and has created paintings which hover between the genres of still life and portraiture. In conversation with curator Julie Lawson, Watt discusses how painters look at paintings, explains why Ramsay inspired her, and provides unique insight into her own creative process. Andrew O'Hagan responds to Watt's paintings with a new work of short fiction and art historian Tom Normand's commentary explores further layers of depth to our understanding of both artists.

  • Winner of Book Cover Design of the Year, Scotland’s National Book Awards 2023 (UK)
  • Short-listed for Non-Fiction Book Award at the Scottish National Book Awards 2022 (UK)

ISBN: 9781911054450

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 862g

96 pages