A Guide to the Work of John Bellany

John Bellany is a pivotal figure in modern British art, renowned for his emotionally charged paintings and distinctive, instantly recognisable style, often featuring bold colours and elongated figures. His work, rooted in personal experience and profound connection to his Scottish coastal heritage, continues to captivate collectors.

^{John Bellany (1942-2013), Untitled, abstract portrait of two women}

^{Sold for £6,800}

Born in Port Seton, Scotland, in 1942, John Bellany grew up in a fishing community that deeply influenced his work. His father was a fisherman, and the sea, along with its traditions and ominous presence, dominated Bellany's early life. He attended the Edinburgh College of Art, later studying at the Royal College of Art in London. Bellany's formative years were marked by a blend of religious symbolism, the harsh realities of seafaring life, and underlying hope for the human condition, all of which would become recurring themes in his work.

Bellany's work is distinguished by its powerful imagery and narrative depth. Among his most celebrated paintings are The Boat Builders (1962), which captures the resilience and complexity of the fishing communities, and Allegory (1964), the enormous (7ft high and 13ft across) example of his symbolic approach. His self-portraits, often painted during times of personal crisis, reveal an honest introspection and vulnerability, charting the many personal conflicts he experienced throughout his life.

^{John Bellany (1943-2013), 'Harbour Dreams'}

^{Sold for £3,700}

Throughout his prolific career and until his death in 2013, Bellany's style underwent a significant transformation. His early works were dominated by dark, sombre tones, reflecting the hardships of his upbringing and the hope and despair of the seafaring community. In the 1970s and 1980s, after surviving life-threatening illness and a liver transplant, his palette brightened, and his compositions became more optimistic. Discharged from hospital, he said that he saw 'everything in cinemascope' and these vivid colours are reflected in larger canvases, along with increasingly complex symbolism. This evolution not only marked a personal rebirth but also enhanced the universal appeal of his art, exhibiting at the Rosa Esman Gallery in New York in 1982, which took his work to a wider audience.

^{John Bellany (1943-2013), Harbour scene}

^{Sold for £3,600}

Bellany's art attracts a wide range of admirers, including prominent collectors such as Damien Hirst. It is held in major public collections such as the Tate Britain, the National Galleries of Scotland, and the National Portrait Gallery, attesting to his widespread recognition.

John Bellany's works have performed well at auction, with key pieces commanding substantial sums such as 'The Finnan Smoker', which reached a hammer price of £80,000 (2022), and 'Port Seton', which fetched £63,000 (2024).  Such sales demonstrate a robust collectors' market, with both early and late period works sought by buyers.

Dawsons Auctioneers, experts in Modern British, 19th-century, and contemporary art, have successfully sold work by John Bellany at recent fine art sales. If you are considering selling art by John Bellany, Dawsons’ dynamic in-house marketing to a huge global audience of known buyers can help you secure the best possible price for your artwork.

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