John Bellany Alan Davie, c.1980

This watercolour depicts John Bellany's friend and fellow artist Alan Davie (1920-2014), recognised as one of Scotland's most significant artists of the twentieth century. Davie was in his sixties when the portrait was completed, painted in the familiar vibrant palette used in many of Bellany's works. Behind Davie is an abstract background that echoes the colours and soft borders found in Davie's facial features, moving from warm reds, oranges, and yellows to darker washes of greens and blues.

During the 1980s, John Bellany increasingly focused on portraiture within his practice. His bold portrayals of his subjects at once explore himself, the sitter, and their relationship. In 1983, John Bellany painted a double portrait of himself with Alan Davie, acting as a homage from one artist to the other. Davie had inspired Bellany's generation of painters, as Bellany had influenced the younger generation of Scottish artists.