New Stirling Smith exhibition celebrates City’s farming heritage

The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum is set to open a new exhibition of animal paintings and other images of life on the land, celebrating the rich heritage of agriculture in Stirlingshire. The exhibition is drawn from the collections of the Stirling Smith and the title reflects both the size of the paintings and their subjects.

The largest exhibit is “The Rebel” by A.R.W. Allan (1878-1959), measuring 9 x 9.5 feet. Painted in 1925, it features three Clydesdale horses at a time when Massey-Fergusson tractors were being introduced to farming. Art enthusiasts will have the chance to see Allan’s painting, which has been in store since 1970, cleaned and conserved in the public gallery from 9 to 13 August.

Other works include paintings by Joseph Denovan Adam (1841-1896) who ran a school of animal art at Craigmill, near Cambuskenneth, which was frequented by several of the Glasgow Boys. Adam ran his art school in Stirling as it was a major crossing place of the drove roads, which brought cattle from all over Scotland to the trysts of Falkirk. Highland cattle were once a common sight in the streets of Stirling in the autumn.

A number of events will take place alongside the exhibition, including a range of talks exploring agricultural-related topics, and activities for children throughout the summer.

The exhibition is supported by United Auctions (UA), Scotland’s leading livestock auctioneers, whose headquarters are based at the new Stirling Agricultural Centre. UA’s sponsorship is match-funded by a New Arts Sponsorship Grant supported by the Scottish Government in conjunction with Arts & Business Scotland.

David Leggat MBE, Executive Chairman of UA, will be doing a talk on Scotland’s Auction Marts during the exhibition. He said: “The company has been part of the farming culture in Stirling for more than 150 years so it’s with great delight that we lend our support to this terrific new exhibition.”

Barclay Price, Director of Arts & Business Scotland, said: “I’m delighted to see United Auctions sponsoring this new exhibition and that we have been able to match their money. This is a terrific example of business working with the arts for mutual benefit and the company is to be commended for its community support.”

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