A large crowd of dignitaries gathered at Tall an Rìgh on Macaulay Road as Harold Sutherland, chairman of Challaid Art Foundation, unveiled a recently purchased Rachel MacBain painting, The Gaelic Queen at Camp. The painting, bought by the charity for the gallery two months ago from a private owner in California for a sum believed to be in excess of two million pounds, was revealed in its new spot in the atrium gallery in a grand unveiling that brought many recognizable faces to the event.
In his speech Mr. Sutherland said, “It is a great honor for Challaid Art Foundation to be able to present this truly special piece of work, not just for what it brings to Tall an Rìgh but what it brings to the entire city of Challaid. Our hope is that it can prove to be another step on our great city’s evolution as a place of art and culture, and bring more recognition to the great artists, writers and poets of our history, among them Rachel MacBain. Over the years Tall an Rìgh has been at the forefront of promoting Challaid as a place of real influence in the art world, and with the crowds we anticipate this painting will draw that influence should only grow further.”
The painting has been described as one of the finest examples of MacBain’s bleak style and ingenious use of light, a dark scene of The Gaelic Queen at fireside, only her face and hair clear while the remainder of the scene is partially lit by the fire and moonlight. CAF have justified their spending on the painting by saying they believe having such a piece back in the city where it was painted will draw many visitors to Tall an Rìgh and raise the standing of the city among culture tourists, making such a large outlay worthwhile.
Harold Sutherland, who is thought to have provided much of the funding, is the first member of his family to have taken a prominent role in either the cultural or charitable sector in the city. For generations the generous funding of Tall an Rìgh, and other institutions around the city, came from the Duff, Stirling and MacBeth families, jokingly referred to as the No Sutherlands Club.
“My family has always taken great pride in helping to provide the economic environment in which institutions like this can thrive,” Harold Sutherland told the Gazette. “Our role has always been behind the scenes, and our involvement in CAF, Challaid FC and other organizations doesn’t mark a change of policy, merely a moving of the spotlight toward us.”
There has been some criticism of the painting’s arrival in Challaid as some have argued such a sum could have been better spent, pointing out that the gallery has failed to instigate a strategy to use the painting to draw more interest to art either through a long suggested but never implemented program of free visits for schools or with a strategy to attract people from poorer backgrounds.
None of these concerns were evident in the gilded surrounds of the gallery as special guests, including Tall an Rìgh patron Prince Alastair and the arts minister, enjoyed the occasion. The event passed late into the night in high spirits as the always charming Harold Sutherland and his equally impressive staff ensured that one of the biggest cultural events in recent years in Challaid lived up to its billing.