About this artwork

When the Scottish National Portrait Gallery commissioned Calum Colvin to create a portrait of the composer, James MacMillan, Colvin visited the composer in his Glasgow home to see where and how he worked. He then built a set in his Edinburgh studio which included references to MacMillan's work and character. In this portrait we can spot the model for the stage set for MacMillan's first full-length opera, Ines de Castro, which he was composing at the time; the manuscripts of the opening and closing bars of the piece; as well as references to his Roman Catholic faith and passionate support of Glasgow Celtic Football Club.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Calum Colvin (born 1961) Scottish
  • title:
    James MacMillan, b. 1959. Composer
  • date created:
    1996
  • materials:
    Cibachrome colour print
  • measurements:
    154.00 x 123.00 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Commissioned 1996
  • accession number:
    PGP 83.14
  • gallery:
  • depicted:
  • subject:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
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Calum Colvin

Calum Colvin