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Craigleith Quarry

Artist: Thomson, Adam Bruce, OBE RSA · 1885-1976

Craigleith Quarry

Though best known for his pastels and watercolour studies of the Scottish (primarily) landscape, A B Thomson was also a gifted printmaker in his…

Though best known for his pastels and watercolour studies of the Scottish (primarily) landscape, A B Thomson was also a gifted printmaker in his younger days. He taught etching in the evening classes which he took at Edinburgh College of Art, having originally been trained in the art whilst a student at ECA, of which he was one of the earliest tranche of graduates. His teaching had a major influence on William Wilson RSA (1905-72) who became a close friend. The present work though dated c.1906 by the vendor would more likely appear to date to c.1907-09 and Thomson’s time as a student, which is the first time he is recorded as having used etching.

The present work was for sale under the title Inverleith Quarry, however the topography suggests it more likely to feature Craigleith Quarry, which served as the source for much of the stone used in Edinburgh’s New Town, but which finally closed in the early 20th century and subsequently became the city’s largest land-fill dump before being redeveloped as a retail park. The print was purchased, not only to fill a gap in the RSA Collections’ holding of Thomson’s work and of Scottish 20th century print making, but also as a foil to the engraved and etched work by Wilson in the Collections which, in its continental, and highland subjects, shows the lessons which he learnt from Thomson in the massing of large areas of rock, for example.

© The Estate of the late Adam Bruce Thomson OBE RSA