About this artwork

In 1955, Gear began to shed landscape references from his work to make absolutely abstract works featuring interlocking slabs of colour. This is one of several stark paintings the artist produced in 1955 to 1956 and is best understood as part of that series of works. Gear did not normally make preparatory sketches, explaining that ‘the studies are mainly in the previous paintings so to speak. Paintings go on from one to the other and evolve; a painting isn’t done as a one off, in its own right.’ The artist’s use of grey suggests the bleakness of winter, and indeed, the work can be precisely dated as being painted between November 1955 and January 1956.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    William Gear (1915 - 1997) Scottish
  • title:
    Winter Structure
  • date created:
    1955 - 1956
  • materials:
    Oil on canvas
  • measurements:
    91.70 x 152.30 cm; Framed: 94.50 x 155.20 x 4.40 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2001
  • accession number:
    GMA 4383
  • gallery:
  • subject:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

William Gear

William Gear