Monday 23 February 2015

John Dobson and John Wilson Carmichael at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle


Central Station, Newcastle upon Tyne (1850) by John Dobson

Newcastle Central Station: Paintings show how it could have looked
Original drawings for the John Dobson designed landmark show the building with an extra portico - and a tower

By Hugh Macknight
14 February 2015

The Picasso is not the only incredible exhibit being shown at The Laing.

Paintings of how Newcastle’s Central Station could have looked have are being exhibited until June.

The images show the John Dobson designed landmark complete with an extra portico - and a tower.

John Dobson and John Wilson Carmichael: An Artistic Partnership showcases the work of two of the North East’s greatest artists.

John Dobson (1787-1865) was the North East’s most outstanding 19th century architect.

His designs can be found across Newcastle and Northumberland, and during the 1830s he worked closely with Richard Grainger on the redevelopment of Newcastle city centre.
Interior of Grainger Market (1835) by John Dobson and John Wilson Carmichael

John Wilson Carmichael (1799-1868) was a talented landscape artist and the North East’s leading marine painter.

Apprenticed to a shipbuilder before becoming a full-time artist, he became renowned for the skill and accuracy of his images of ships and boats.

Both highly successful, these two artists were also close friends, and developed an extraordinary working relationship.

The two often worked collaboratively on pictures, with Dobson producing perspective views of his building designs, and Carmichael adding colour and figures to bring the scenes to life.

Interior of the Central Station, Newcastle upon Tyne (1850) by John Dobson and John Wilson Carmichael

Pictures by the two artists, working individually and together, have been selected from the gallery’s collection for this exhibition.

The Old Fish Market, Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne (1823 - 1830) by John Dobson


















The display also includes Dobson’s watercolour of Newcastle fishwives in action in the Guildhall Fishmarket as well as a series of impressive watercolours by the two artists showing the proposed designs for Central Station, which was opened in 1850.

The original design was even grander than the finished building, with two arcades, and huge sculptures of seated figures above the porch.

Costs meant it had to be scaled back somewhat, though the building is still one of the centrepieces of Richard Grainger’s redevelopment of Newcastle in imposing Neo-Classical style.

Wonder what they’d all think of the recent developments...

John Dobson and John Wilson Carmichael: An Artistic Partnership is on show at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle until 28 June 2015. Entry is free but a donation to the gallery is welcome. For more information visit www.laingartgallery.org.uk

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-central-station-paintings-show-8643253

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