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The Argyll Collection

Blue Heaven

Blue Heaven

Artist: Sam Black

Catalogue: 138

Material: Lithograph

Dimensions: 50.8 x 66cm

Date: Acquired 1981, Edition 31/50

About the artwork

In this print, the artist depicts five gulls sitting quietly in calm water, viewed from above. Through his use of textures and pattern and his skills as a lithographer, the artist has created a closely observed study.

About the artist

Sam Black (born Ardrossan, 1913-1997) studied at Glasgow School of Art and taught at Jordanhill College. He is know for his fraught depictions of war-torn landscapes in Europe during World War II. Black was a very strong proponent of accurate observation and recording, and of the importance of attention to detail. He instructed his students to spend three-quarters of an hour looking at their subject, before drawing for fifteen minutes.