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Portrait of the Artist and his Wife
Portrait of the Artist and his Wife
Portrait of the Artist and his Wife

Portrait of the Artist and his Wife

Artist (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1880 - 1961)
Date1910
Mediumoil on canvas
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsSight Size: 1803 × 1143mm
Frame Size: 2028 × 1360 × 38mm
AcquisitionPurchased in 2014 with assistance from The Art Fund, the National Fund for Acquisitions, the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums, the Pilgrim Trust and with income from the Webster Bequest.
Copyright© John Macdonald Aiken (2010)
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG017800
About MeThe style and format of this masterwork by John Macdonald Aiken hovers on the cusp between starchy Victorian formality and early 20th century modernity. It is lively, yet still comparatively restrained.

The setting is the artist’s studio at 183a Union Street, which was also shared by many other local artists, such as Douglas Strachan.

Aiken studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, the Royal College of Art in London, under Gerald Moira (1867-1959) and in Florence. He was Head of Gray’s from 1911 to - 14 before serving in the First World War. After the war he devoted himself full-time to painting.

More About Me
Both the artist and his wife are portrayed as confidently assertive with more than a hint of arrogance.