Awaiting Execution
About this artwork
The Geissler family had spent a holiday in the Nethy Bridge area and had been to this forested area, north of Carrbridge. On returning a year later, it came as a ‘physical shock’ to find that almost all of the trees had been torn down during a storm. This inspired a series of moving interpretations by Geissler where the trees become images of suffering. Dominating the picture is a monumental clump of trees, surrounded by windblown remains. The artist’s use of dark and subdued colour conjures up tones of visionary foreboding and gloom. This painting was exhibited in 1946 by the Royal Scottish Academy as well as the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour.
Updated before 2020
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artist:William Geissler (1894 - 1963) Scottish
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title:Awaiting Execution
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date created:1946
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materials:Watercolour on paper
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measurements:49.00 x 63.50 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Presented by the Artist’s Family, 2018
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accession number:GMA 5598
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gallery:
William Geissler
William Geissler
Best known for his works on paper, Geissler’s paintings often depict scenes of woodlands, farms and harbours, almost always without figures. He joined the Royal Scots Regiment at the outbreak of World War I and was posted to northern France, serving in the Battle of the Somme. Following...