The first in a series of blogs which highlights and explores key works in the Reading Foundation for Art collection, selected by the RFA Trustees.
'A Trustee's Selection: Part One' allows us to also highlight the key contributions by a former and much loved Trustee, Alan Caiger-Smith (1930-2020) as selected by Patricia Jordan-Evans.
A TRUSTEE’S CHOICE: ‘Portrait of Alan Caiger-Smith’
by Jennifer McRae
Selected by Patricia Jordan-Evans, Trustee
"Helen and David Watson generously gave a gift for a portrait of the leading British potter, Alan Caiger-Smith to be painted by Scottish artist, Jennifer McRae. Jennifer visited Alan both at his pottery in Aldermaston and at home to get a sense of the man, his work and interests. Being in between studios I offered her a room above Bohun Gallery and had the pleasure of regularly seeing Jenny and Alan coming to sit for his portrait. They got on extremely well as can be seen by this highly successful portrait and I was immensely privileged to watch its development over the months."
Patricia Jordan Evans, RFA Trustee and Founder of the Bohun Gallery, Henley on Thames
Jennifer McRae, Scottish, born 1959
Jennifer McRae is one of Scotland’s finest living artists, best known for her distinctive portraits. A celebrated artist and member of the Royal Scottish Academy, she has exhibited widely in public and private galleries and has portrayed many household names. Jennifer has had work commissioned from the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and, in 2002, she was commissioned by the Reading Foundation for Art to paint the long-standing RFA Trustee and celebrated potter, Alan Caiger-Smith.
Jennifer creates work that combines reality with imagination, working from life while adhering to her own sense of detail and design. In turn this feeds her inspirations regarding her commissioned portraits. McRae’s exquisite draughtsmanship and use of thinly applied layers of oil paint are undeniable, but perhaps what sets her apart and makes her portraiture so unique is her ability to open up and explore the possibilities to reflect the sitter’s world.
Since the 2002 commission, McRae has gone on to become the first Prize Winner in the RWS Sunday Times Watercolour competition and was also, for the third time, a Prize Winner at the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Exhibition held at Mall Galleries in February 2013.
In May 2014, McRae won the Ondaatje Gold Medal, Royal Society of Portrait Painters and in 2019 she won the prestigious Lynn Painter-Stainers for her portrait of three generations of women in her family: her granddaughter, her daughter and her.
The RFA collection also owns ‘Two Imaginary Girls’, 2001 by Jennifer McRae. Although not a self-portrait the imaginary girls resemble McRae. In the image the artist explores the issue of duality of personalities, a subject which resonates throughout her work.
Explore other works in national collections by Jennifer McRae at ArtUK HERE
Alan Caiger-Smith (1930-2020)
In February 2020, Alan Caiger-Smith passed away. His international reputation as a giant of twentieth century British pottery and a lustreware expert is undeniable, and much has now been written about his work and life at Aldermaston Pottery, near Reading. He worked tirelessly as a Trustee for Reading Foundation for Art from 1991 Alan taking over from the great British painter John Piper (1903-1992) as the principal maker and for 25 years shared his belief in Reading and his appreciation of Art, great and small.
Above: A selection of works by Alan Caiger-Smith from the Reading Museum and RFA Collections
It was after his 70th birthday when his patrons, Helen and David Watson, supported the Reading Foundation for Art to commission a portrait of Alan surrounded by the tools of his trade and depicted in his potting sweatshirt.
A sign of Alan’s historic importance came a couple of years ago when the huge lustre pot that usually sits in the middle of the Museum’s Atrium Gallery was requested by the Yale Centre for British Art, Connecticut, U.S, for a major exhibition about British pottery. The pot had been made as part of an ambitious commission and subsequently acquired by Reading Foundation for Art.
Left: Alan standing beside the RFA's huge lustre pot which travelled to the Yale Centre, USA.
Alan's desire to make the Foundation better known surfaced again in 2015 when he scripted and made a film with local filmmaker Konrad Welz. Alan’s Film, 2015 is about his views on Reading and the unusual nature of Reading Foundation for Art. He felt much more should be made of this extraordinary charity and that other towns could learn from it. Watch the film below.
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