02/09/2026
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 by John Duncan Fergusson.
This is the only work in Aviva's collection which has been on public display. Previously, it was last shown in 2019 at the Lightbox Gallery in Woking.
John Duncan Fergusson was born in 1874 in Leith. His parents had originally come from Perthshire, which he always considered his spiritual home. He gained a place at the Trustees' Academy; however, disillusioned with the curriculum, he left and went on to become self-taught.
In 1907 Fergusson moved to Paris, regarded at that time as the cultural epicentre of the world, where he became part of the café society of Montparnasse. Heavily influenced by the Fauves, he exhibited alongside them at the Salon d'Automne that year.
In 1913, he met the pioneering dancer Margaret Morris, who became his lifelong partner, and they relocated to the UK. In 1929, they returned to Paris, spending summers at Antibes in the South of France, where Margaret Morris held her dance Summer Schools and Fergusson taught painting. From 1939, the couple settled in Glasgow.
Fergusson died there in 1961.
On display in 'The Scottish Colourists Revealed' until 26 October 2026. On loan from the Private Collection of Aviva Insurance Ltd.
🙏 Supported by Aviva & Lyon & Turnbull
🖼️ Paintings on display include works from the collection of the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) , Aviva, National Trust for Scotland, University of Dundee, The University of Edinburgh, and The Hugo Burge Foundation.
