EDINBURGH EXHIBITION 1 - 7 JULY 2021
View from Calton Hill‘Edinburgh & Beyond’ –
The classic, artistic beauty of favourite cityscapes through the architectural eye of
Adrian Tuchel @ Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh
Adrian Tuchel is an Architectural artist based in Cambridge, specialising in large format drawings and watercolours. This impressive exhibition presents a series of iconic vistas around Edinburgh, as well taking a tour of other favourite cities including Venice, Florence and New York.
After studying art and architecture, Tuchel experimented with a range of genres from abstracts to flower compositions and finally architectural landscapes using pencil, ink and watercolour.
His broad artistic expertise combined with a love of world travel provides the subject matter for his work:
‘They are few cities in the world with an exceptional skyscape. I always been attracted by Edinburgh. Last year in September, superb weather invited me to create some spectacular views of this unique city, to begin to discover the true Edinburgh’. Adrian Tuchel, 2021
Around the gallery is a diverse range of pen & ink drawings, original small and large scale watercolours and prints. However his signature, innovative artistic method is capturing wide angled panoramic scenes from specific viewpoints.
View from the Park – original sketch and Panorama watercolour
As observed from Princes Street Gardens, at first glance this is a sketchy, free flowing impressionist style but this technique is deceptive. There is extraordinary architectural detail here too in the realistic depiction of the Scott Monument, Balmoral Hotel, the skyline of the Old Town, with the higgledy piggledy row of classic buildings: Scotsman Hotel, City Chambers, Bank of Scotland, New College, the Hub spire and over to Castle Rock.
View from Calton Hill is also masterly in the minimalism of the composition, contrasting the giant cheese wedge of Salisbury Crag towering over the city and the Pentland Hills beyond. The soft palette for the sky in coral, yellow and pink catch the glimmering glow of sunset.
View from Calton Hill – original sketch and Panorama watercolour
A few close up images show the delicate use of watercolour on the white textured paper to reflect a cool, clear transparent brightness.
View from the Castle and Arthur’s Seat are also part of this series, sketched and painted on innovative long, scrolls of paper to create unique, large format panoramic vistas.
View from the Castle – panoramic view
Scroll painting is an ancient Asian art using fine brushes, inks and colour washes on a roll of paper or silk. “Long Landscape Scroll” (1486) by the celebrated Japanese artist, Sesshu is approximately 15 metres in length. In his inscription, Sesshu claims that this epic narrative depicting a landscape over four seasons was completed on a single peaceful day and thus regarded as a miracle of art.
Instead of being limited to standard art paper up to poster size, Adrian had always dreamed of painting large scale watercolour scrolls. A traditional French paper mill company, which had supplied the great Impressionist painters, was able to supply rolls of specialist watercolour paper measuring 20-35cm by 2.5 metres.
Adrian Tuchel at work on a long roll of watercolour paper (from a Video)
The original pencil or ink sketches are done on small individual sections moving across the roll of paper but Tuchel cannot see the entire drawing until completed, when it’s unrolled and laid down flat. These long panoramic landscape scrolls are accomplished at one sitting, ‘en plein air’ to retain the consistency and proportion of scale.
Venice: “A splendour of miscellaneous spirits.” John Ruskin
Poets, artists, actors and musicians have long been inspired by the surreal, dreamlike beauty of Venice. The Russian novelist, Turgenev believed that ‘No-one who has not seen Venice knows the full, indescribable charm of that magical city.’
If it’s difficult to describe the spirit of La Serenissima in prose, then Canaletto, Turner, Monet et al, – have done so in paint.
‘The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore’, JMW Turner, 1834
Venice is one of Adrian Tuchel’s most beloved cities, returning again and again to evoke the dramatic timeless grandeur, a painterly vision of sculpture and sea, in panoramic scenes. It is interesting to learn that Turner’s sketchbooks contain compositions spreading across many pages with folders of extra sheets – so he would have been wise to source a full roll of watercolour paper.!
Venice: Views from Hotel Danieli, & Campanile di S. Giorgio Maggiore
Again, these are such atmospheric compositions of the ancient city wrapped around the lagoon and canals with an extraordinary aerial perspective.
Adrian Tuchel with his Venice panoramic paintings at the gallery
Tuchel works regularly in association with the historic Caffe Florian, (est. 1720), in the centre of St. Mark’s Square, where he presents regular exhibitions:
‘Quick brush strokes and a distinctive palette, [Tuchel’s] Venice is dreamy, romantic, .. snapshots made of colour and light, a Venice where time stops.’ Marco Paolini, CEO, Caffe Florian, (February 2019)
Caffe Florian, Venice – a cultural institution since 1720
Portofino is a traditional fishing village on the Italian Riviera, curiously transformed into a luxury resort town; Milan fashion boutiques, wine and seafood bars line the horseshoe harbour, where chic super-yachts are juxtaposed with old fishing boats.
Portofino, a fishing village and glamorous resort for the rich and famous
Here below is an exquisite watercolour painting by Adrian Tuchel to illustrate the curving row of houses and restaurants, Hotel Splendido perched on the cliff, tall-masted boats on the azur water. The jagged brushstroke streak of sky in a turquoise tint, perfectly frames this tranquil scene in the summer sun.
Portofino, a panoramic scenic view
“This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.” ― Alexander McCall Smith
Taking centre stage at this exhibition however is Edinburgh with many delightful scenes of landmark sites – these watercolours would be marvellous inspiring illustrations for a richly colourful city guide book.
View from the Nelson Monument
With a harmony of architectural lines and soft blended shades, this city of church spires and ancient monuments is bathed in a glossy wash of blue, rose gold and salmon pink, casting a luminous glow.
View from the Scott Monument
“Edinburgh is a new challenge, for me. I continuously discover new views and its great architectural history – I have come to like it more and more particularly enjoying a fine dram of whisky at the end of the day”. Adrian Tuchel
Do visit the Dundas Street Gallery if you can to view this artwork up close in more detail in the company of the artist and his wife, Barbara. Other cities include Cambridge, London, New York, Florence.
Original sketches, watercolours and Limited Edition prints. Small scale affordable framed and unframed artwork too. Large Watercolour Panoramas are neatly rolled in a cardboard tube – perhaps an empty Laphroaig whisky carton!.
An attractive display of prints and watercolours: small and large scale artwork
“EDINBURGH & BEYOND” – Adrian Tuchel
Dundas street Gallery 6a, Dundas Street Edinburgh EH3 6HZ
1st to 7th July, 2021. Open daily from 10am to 7pm.
See the website for more information: https://adriantuchel.gallery/
INAUGURATION
1 JULY 2021 AT 5 PM
6. Dundas Street,, EDINBURGH EH3 6HZ
www.adriantuchel.gallery
Panoramic views of Edinburgh, London, St. Ives, Cambridge, Venice, Florence, Portofino & New York