Description:
[§]
PETER
HOWSON
O.B.E.
(SCOTTISH
B.1958)







TENDER
TOUCH,
1989







Signed,
oil
on
canvas







75cm
x
50cm
(29.5in
x
19.75in)



















































Notes:
Provenance:






Cyril
Gerber
Fine
Art,
Glasgow,
purchased
by
the
current
owner,
1993

Note:
Peter
Howson
is
one
of
Scotland''s
most
celebrated
artists.
Howson
was
born
in
London
in
1958
and
moved
to
Scotland
as
a
young
child.
He
studied
at
the
Glasgow
School
of
Art
from
1975-77
and
completed
his
master''s
degree
in
1979.
He
became
a
leading
member
of
the
New
Glasgow
Boys,
a
generation
of
young
Scottish
artists
that
responded
to
the
dominance
of
abstract,
conceptual
and
pop
art.
Howson
is
known
for
his
dramatic
insight
into
the
human
condition
and
in
particular
his
distinctive
depictions
of
the
male
form.
He
draws
inspiration
from
his
turbulent
upbringing
and
his
experience
recording
the
conflicts
in
Bosnia
and
former
Yugoslavia.
His
work
features
in
several
public
collections
including
the
Victoria
&
Albert
Museum,
Tate,
the
National
Galleries
of
Scotland
and
the
Museum
of
Modern
Art
in
New
York.
Other
than
appearing
in
a
number
of
prestigious
galleries,
his
work
is
also
popular
amongst
celebrities
such
as
David
Bowie,
Sylvester
Stallone
and
Madonna.
In
2009
Howson
was
appointed
Officer
of
the
Order
of
the
British
Empire
for
services
to
the
visual
arts.


Tender
Touch






was
painted
during
a
crucial
moment
in
his
rise
to
fame.
Between
1985-1993
Howson
had
over
twenty
solo
exhibitions
around
the
world,
marking
his
intense
and
successful
artistic
output.
The
painting
depicts
Howson''s
characteristically
monumental
figures
set
against
a
rural
backdrop.
During
his
childhood
Howson
often
sought
an
escape
from
his
troublesome
life
in
the
calming
beaches
and
sea
in
the
Ayrshire
coast.
Thus,
the
coastline
becomes
a
reoccurring
feature
in
his
work
and
one
imbued
with
great
personal
significance.
Howson
uses
a
dark
palette
to
depict
the
evening
scene,
creating
a
sombre
and
eerie
atmosphere
which
is
heightened
by
the
ambiguity
of
the
figure''s
intentions.