Craigie Aitchison CBE

Craigie Aitchison CBE RA (1926–2009)

Craigie Aitchison was one of the most distinctive British painters of the post-war period, celebrated for his intensely coloured, poetic images of people, animals, landscapes and religious subjects. His paintings are immediately recognisable for their luminous colour, simplified forms and remarkable sense of stillness.

Born in Edinburgh in 1926, Aitchison initially studied law before turning to art and attending the Slade School of Fine Art in London. A formative period spent in Italy had a lasting influence on his work, particularly in his approach to colour, landscape and religious imagery. He subsequently developed a highly personal visual language that remained independent of prevailing artistic movements.

Animals were among Aitchison's most enduring subjects. His beloved Bedlington terriers appear frequently in his paintings, alongside birds and other animals, often placed against vivid fields of colour or spare, dreamlike landscapes. These simplified compositions possess a quiet emotional intensity that became a defining characteristic of his work.

Two limited-edition tapestries were created from Aitchison's imagery. Blue Bird, Yellow Landscape, commissioned in 2009, was produced as a hand-knotted tapestry in India in an edition of 20 plus artist's proofs. Bedlington in Red, commissioned in 2012, was also hand-knotted in India and produced in an edition of 20 plus artist's proofs.

Aitchison's bold areas of colour and elegantly simplified forms translate naturally into the tapestry medium. The hand-knotted surfaces introduce texture and physical depth while preserving the clarity, intimacy and extraordinary colour relationships that distinguish his paintings.

Aitchison was elected a Royal Academician in 1988 and appointed CBE in 1999. His work is held in major public and private collections, and his singular approach to colour and figurative painting has secured his place as one of the most individual voices in modern British art.