The Glasgow Boys were the most significant group of artists in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century. The ‘boys’ as they came to be known were a loose-knit group of about twenty artists, linked by friendship and in most cases, a connection with Glasgow where most of them trained, lived or shared studios.

In this film we look at some of the key figures of the group, and how they developed a distinctive style. We visited some of the places outside Glasgow that they were drawn to for inspiration, particularly rural areas such as the Berwicksire coast that provided them with rustic subjects, and the freedom paint out of doors directly in front of their subject. Many of the ‘boys’ were subsequently drawn to the fashionable life of Europe’s bustling cities, and towards the end of the nineteenth century, colour, texture and pattern came to dominate much of their work, paving the way for a more modern approach by the next generation of artists.

By the 1890s the work of The Glasgow Boys was widely admired in Europe and America, where they regularly exhibited. Their example encouraged subsequent generations of Scottish artists to have confidence in their own abilities and to be open to new developments in art.

The portrait titled 'James Cuthrie' is incorrectly titled. The correct portrait title is James Guthrie.

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