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Stanley Cursiter

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Sir Stanley Cursiter
Born29 April 1887
Kirkwaa, Orkney, Scotland
Dee'd22 April 1976 (aged 88)
Stromness, Orkney, Scotland
NaitionalityScottish
EddicationEdinburgh College o Airt
Kent forPentin, drawin, author
MuivementFuturism
Hauf-marrae(s)Phyllis Hourston

Stanley Cursiter CBE FRSE FRIAS FEIS RSA RSW (29 April 1887 – 22 April 1976) wis an Orcadian airtist that played an important role in introducin Post-impressionism an Futurism tae Scotland. He sert as the keeper (1919–30), then director (1930–48), o the National Galleries o Scotland, an as HM Limner an Penter in Scotland (1948–76).[1]

Biography

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He wis born on 29 April 1887 at 15 East Road in Kirkwaa, Orkney, the son o John Scott Cursiter an Mary Joan Thomson.[2]

He wis eddicatit at Kirkwaa Grammar Schuil afore flittin tae Edinburgh, whaur he studied at Edinburgh College o Airt. His aerly penting wis influenced bi cubism, futurism[3] an vorticism. Frae a young age, he clearly haed access tae muckle wealth as he bidit at 28 Queen Street in 1910, ane o the maist prestigious addresses in Edinburgh, an nae affordable tae the average airt student.[4]

Durin the First Warld War he sert as an officer in 1st Battalion, the Cameronians an sert in The Battle o the Somme, Amiens an Abbeville. The state in the trenches caused him tae develop bronchitis an asthma, an he wis sent tae the sooth o France tae recover. Efter recoverin, he returnt tae the Battalion's base, but wis again hospitalised an in danger o becomin 'unfit for service'. Housomiver he kept serrin bi transferrin tae the 4th Field Ordnance Survey Battalion[5] at 4th Airmy Heidquarters an developed new an faster methods for processing aerial photographs. In particular, he devised a clever method o projeckin the photographic negative taen frae a spotter plane that remakit the tilt present whan the photograph wis taen – the technique o single photo-optical rectification.[6] This sped up the process o rapid fixin o enemy gun emplacements. Durin the War, he learnt tae uise radio anaa (becomin President o the Edinburgh Radio Society).[7] He wis Mentioned in Dispatches twice an received a military OBE. Durin the Seicont Warld War he haed thrift at the Ordnance Survey Department in Southampton (1939–40) afore muivin tae the same organisation in Edinburgh (1940–1945). He wis gien a military CBE in 1948.[8]

Efter the First Warld War he adoptit a mair realist style. He travellt tae France efter the war afore settlin in Edinburgh in 1920.[9]

Cursiter becam an Associate o the Royal Scottish Academy in 1927, a fu Academician in 1937 an sert as Secretar tae the Academy frae 1953 tae 1955. He wis the first Secretar o the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland an wis appyntit Keeper o the National Galleries of Scotland in 1930, a post he held until 1948.[10] That same year, he wis grantit the Freedom o Kirkwaa an wis appyntit as the King's (later to be Queen's) Penter an Limner for Scotland, a poseition he held until his daith.[11]

He pented watercolour landscapes o East Lothian, Orkney an Shetland, an designed Saint Rognvald Chapel in St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwaa.[12][13] He is kenspeckle for his portraits an is conseidert as being amang the finest Scots portraitists o the 20th Yearhunner. He pentit 'Her Majesty The Queen receiving the Honours of Scotland' in the High Kirk o St Giles in 1953; this pentin hangs on the Great Stair, Palace o Halyruidhoose, Edinburgh.

Aberdeen University awairdit him an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1959. He wis electit a Fellow o the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1938, a rare honour for an airtist. His proponers wis James Pickering Kendall, Leonard Dobbin, James Watt, an Sir Ernest Wedderburn.[14]

Cursiter haed a muckle pairt in the campaign tae create a Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.[3]

He deit in Stromness on 22 Aprile 1976.[2]

Memorial tae Stanley Cursiter in Kirkwaa Cathedral, Orkney

Faimily

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He mairrit Phylliss Hourston on 14 October 1916.[2]

His aulder sister Jessie Cursiter (1881-1916) is buirit in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.

Selectit warks

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  • Rain on Princes Street, 1913
  • The Regatta, 1913
  • Villefranche,circa 1920
  • The Fair Isle Jumper, 1923
  • Geo at Yesnaby and Brough of Bigging, 1929
  • Window – Burnstane House, circa 1935
  • The Old Store, Stromness, 1950
  • The Honours of Scotland, 1954
  • Landscape in the Orkneys, 1954

References

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  1. ↑ Waterston, Charles D; Macmillan Shearer, A (Julie 2006). Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002: Biographical Index (PDF). I. Edinburgh: The Royal Society of Edinburgh. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. Archived frae the original (PDF) on 22 Apryle 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. ↑ a b c "Stanley Cursiter (1887-1976)". National Records of Scotland. Scottish Government. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  3. ↑ a b Mansfield, Susan (5 Mairch 2018). "How Edinburgh artists of the 1930s shook up the establishment". The National. Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Edinburgh an Leith Post Office Directory, 1910–11
  5. ↑ "History of the 4th Field Survey Battalion Royal Engineers)" (PDF). Archived frae the original (PDF) on 28 Januar 2016. Retrieved 18 Januar 2016.
  6. ↑ "Stanley Cursiter's contribution" (PDF). Archived frae the original (PDF) on 9 Mey 2021. Retrieved 3 Mairch 2015.
  7. ↑ A Chasm in Time – Scottish War Art and Artists in the Twentieth Century, by Patricia R. Andrew, Birlinn Ltd., 2014. ISBN 978-1780271903
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived frae the original (PDF) on 24 Januar 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ Chilvers, Ian; Glaves-Smith, John. A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 170. ISBN 9780199239658.
  10. ↑ "Cursiter painting sells for £22,500 at London auction". The Orcadian. Orkney Media Group Ltd. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Cursiter paintings snapped up at Edinburgh auction". The Orcadian. Orkney Media Group Ltd. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "St Magnus Cathedral". sites.scran.ac.uk. Archived frae the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 28 Februar 2021.
  13. ↑ "Stanley Cursiter". www.royalscottishacademy.org. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 28 Februar 2021.[deid airtin]
  14. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived frae the original (PDF) on 24 Januar 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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