An exhibition of paintings by Iona Leishman

Friday 18 August – Sunday 14 October 2018

The River Forth at Stirling has played many roles in human life.  In centuries past it was a trade route to continental Europe, and protection from southern invaders.  In the 18th and 19th centuries it was popular with tourists, with Robert Burns writing of “the glorious prospect of the windings of the Forth” viewed from Stirling Castle.

Iona Leishman was Stirling Castle’s first artist in residence, and for this exhibition she has created new paintings to celebrate the beauty and significance of the river.  “Some paintings express my joy at the landscape and weather,” she writes, “some are what I call notes from the riverbank.  In others, I enjoy the graphic nature of the River’s elegant twists … And then there are historically imagined scenes, echoes of the numerous battles and encounters that Stirling and her river have witnessed over the centuries”

These paintings are accompanied by other works of art relating to the river, including some from the Stirling Smith’s permanent collections.  Iona and the staff at the Stirling Smith hope this exhibition of past and present will open up discussions about the future potential and power of the river.