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| Conservation work being undertaken on the Heart of the Rose panel at Graciela Ainsworth |
Margaret Macdonald’s The Heart of the Rose is immediately recognisable as what has
become known as “Glasgow Style”. It is also a particularly significant example
her innovative and experimental approach to art and design. However, until its
recent conservation no-one knew just how innovative the GSA’s Heart of the Rose panel was.
become known as “Glasgow Style”. It is also a particularly significant example
her innovative and experimental approach to art and design. However, until its
recent conservation no-one knew just how innovative the GSA’s Heart of the Rose panel was.
Only two panels bearing the design were ever made.
One belonged to a Viennese patron and was displayed in an interior exhibit –
The Rose Boudoir – at the International Exposition of Modern Art in Turin in
1902,. The second was made for a private house in Glasgow. The latter was
donated to The Glasgow School of Art in 1952.
One belonged to a Viennese patron and was displayed in an interior exhibit –
The Rose Boudoir – at the International Exposition of Modern Art in Turin in
1902,. The second was made for a private house in Glasgow. The latter was
donated to The Glasgow School of Art in 1952.
The GSA panel, which is just under 1m x 1m in size,
has just undergone restoration at Graciela Ainsworth in Edinburgh, and during
restoration work an exciting discovery was made that sheds a whole new light on
Macdonald and Mackintosh’s creative practice.
has just undergone restoration at Graciela Ainsworth in Edinburgh, and during
restoration work an exciting discovery was made that sheds a whole new light on
Macdonald and Mackintosh’s creative practice.
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| Margaret Macdonald (courtesy of GSA Archives / T & R Annan & Sons Ltd) |
“A hugely influential
and acclaimed, artist and designer in her time, and an acknowledged expert in
the creation of gesso panels, Macdonald has somewhat unfairly been eclipsed by
her husband,” says Dr Robyne Calvert, Mackintosh Research Fellow at the
GSA, an internationally respected expert on the collaborative work of Margaret
Macdonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. “Recently
scholars have worked to redress this imbalance, which I think Mackintosh
himself would have appreciated, as she was vital to his creative practice.
Indeed Mackintosh told her, in a personal letter, ‘’You must remember that in all my architectural efforts you have
been half if not threequarters [sic] in them…”
“During the
restoration of the GSA’s The Heart of the Rose panel conservators have
discovered that it is unique among her other extant gesso panels in that it was
made by an entirely different process. The discovery gives us a whole new
insight into the method and philosophy of Macdonald and Mackintosh’s shared
design practice.”
restoration of the GSA’s The Heart of the Rose panel conservators have
discovered that it is unique among her other extant gesso panels in that it was
made by an entirely different process. The discovery gives us a whole new
insight into the method and philosophy of Macdonald and Mackintosh’s shared
design practice.”
Macdonald made several ‘gesso panels’ for interiors
designed by, and sometimes with, Mackintosh. The panels were made similarly to
the method for wall frescoes: plaster was layered onto a support such as wood
or canvas, then finished with piped plaster in linear relief, paint, and
sometimes set with various inexpensive mixed media such as twine, shells, and
embroidery beads.
designed by, and sometimes with, Mackintosh. The panels were made similarly to
the method for wall frescoes: plaster was layered onto a support such as wood
or canvas, then finished with piped plaster in linear relief, paint, and
sometimes set with various inexpensive mixed media such as twine, shells, and
embroidery beads.
The conservation of the GSA panel, however, has now
revealed that it was created as a single plaster cast with pigment applied to
the surface (rather than mixed into the plaster layers).
revealed that it was created as a single plaster cast with pigment applied to
the surface (rather than mixed into the plaster layers).
“This
discovery is supported by the catalogue for the Turin exhibition, which
indicated that duplicates could be made of the Macdonald-Mackintosh designs to
be purchased by interested buyers. What the restoration of this panel has
revealed is that not only were they were willing to make multiples of their
designs, but had indeed created a system of doing so in hopeful anticipation of
such commissions,” adds Dr Calvert “This
exciting discovery gives us deeper insight into the way Macdonald worked, and
what the Mackintoshes hoped to achieve with their interior design practice:
they were happy to duplicate their designs in an innovative way, without being
overly precious about reworking them to suit the needs of their patrons. They
wanted to work.”
discovery is supported by the catalogue for the Turin exhibition, which
indicated that duplicates could be made of the Macdonald-Mackintosh designs to
be purchased by interested buyers. What the restoration of this panel has
revealed is that not only were they were willing to make multiples of their
designs, but had indeed created a system of doing so in hopeful anticipation of
such commissions,” adds Dr Calvert “This
exciting discovery gives us deeper insight into the way Macdonald worked, and
what the Mackintoshes hoped to achieve with their interior design practice:
they were happy to duplicate their designs in an innovative way, without being
overly precious about reworking them to suit the needs of their patrons. They
wanted to work.”
The GSA’s Heart
of the Rose Panel will go back on display in the temporary furniture
gallery in the Reid Building from 15 March 2016. Public access via one of the
Mackintosh at the GSA tours which run three times a day, seven days a week.
of the Rose Panel will go back on display in the temporary furniture
gallery in the Reid Building from 15 March 2016. Public access via one of the
Mackintosh at the GSA tours which run three times a day, seven days a week.
Ends 8
March 2016
March 2016
For further
information, images and interviews
contact: Lesley Booth
0779 941 4474
press@gsa.ac.uk
information, images and interviews
contact: Lesley Booth
0779 941 4474
press@gsa.ac.uk
Notes for Editors
- The Heart of the Rose panel was removed from The Mackintosh Building in May 2014 by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
- The Heart of The Rose Panel was last restored in the 1950s. The current work has been planned for some time and is not related to the fire.
Margaret
Macdonald
Macdonald
Margaret Macdonald was one of the most gifted and
successful women artists in Scotland at the turn of the century. Her output was
wide-ranging and included watercolours, graphics, metalwork and textiles.
Arguably her greatest achievements were in gesso, a plaster-based medium, which
she used to make decorative panels for furniture and interiors.
successful women artists in Scotland at the turn of the century. Her output was
wide-ranging and included watercolours, graphics, metalwork and textiles.
Arguably her greatest achievements were in gesso, a plaster-based medium, which
she used to make decorative panels for furniture and interiors.
Macdonald was born in England and came to Glasgow with
her family around 1890. She enrolled as a day student at Glasgow School of Art
where she met Mackintosh and Herbert McNair. She left the School in the mid
1890s and set up an independent studio in the city with her sister, Frances.
Margaret Macdonald The sisters worked together until Frances’s marriage and
departure for Liverpool in 1899. Mackintosh and Macdonald married in 1900.
her family around 1890. She enrolled as a day student at Glasgow School of Art
where she met Mackintosh and Herbert McNair. She left the School in the mid
1890s and set up an independent studio in the city with her sister, Frances.
Margaret Macdonald The sisters worked together until Frances’s marriage and
departure for Liverpool in 1899. Mackintosh and Macdonald married in 1900.
Collaboration was key to Margaret Macdonald’s
creativity. The partnership with her sister in the 1890s produced metalwork,
graphics, and a series of book illustrations. Her collaboration with Mackintosh
comprised primarily the production of panels for interiors and furniture,
notably for the tea rooms and The Hill House. The precise nature of their
partnership is difficult to define, because little documentation survives.
However it is certain that Macdonald played an important role in the
development of the decorative, symbolic interiors of the early 1900s.
creativity. The partnership with her sister in the 1890s produced metalwork,
graphics, and a series of book illustrations. Her collaboration with Mackintosh
comprised primarily the production of panels for interiors and furniture,
notably for the tea rooms and The Hill House. The precise nature of their
partnership is difficult to define, because little documentation survives.
However it is certain that Macdonald played an important role in the
development of the decorative, symbolic interiors of the early 1900s.
Ill health and the strain of Mackintosh’s declining
career contributed to a decline in her own output and no work after 1921 is
known. Macdonald died in London in 1933, five years after her husband.
career contributed to a decline in her own output and no work after 1921 is
known. Macdonald died in London in 1933, five years after her husband.
Conservation of the panel
· In
order to clean the surface of the panel several trials were made to test the
behaviour of different solvents and methods. Finally a mixture of white spirit
with Dehypon LS45 with a very low percentage of IMS and acetone was found the
most appropriate method. The cleaning of the whole panel was made using swabs
of cotton wool, removing any remain of product and always neutralizing
afterwards with white spirit.
order to clean the surface of the panel several trials were made to test the
behaviour of different solvents and methods. Finally a mixture of white spirit
with Dehypon LS45 with a very low percentage of IMS and acetone was found the
most appropriate method. The cleaning of the whole panel was made using swabs
of cotton wool, removing any remain of product and always neutralizing
afterwards with white spirit.
· After
the cleaning, chips and losses of paint and substrate were filled using
traditional gesso made of sulphate calcic and animal glue.
the cleaning, chips and losses of paint and substrate were filled using
traditional gesso made of sulphate calcic and animal glue.
· Finally
the white gesso fills were retouched using fine artists water colour.
the white gesso fills were retouched using fine artists water colour.