JOHN BYRNE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1940-2023) §
H.M.S. DONOVAN (ARTWORK PERTAINING TO THE RECORD)
£6,300
Auction: 02 April 2025 from 10:00 BST
Description
Signed ‘Patrick’ lower left, oil on panel laid on block board
Dimensions
26.5cm x 26cm (10.5in x 10.25in)
Provenance
From The Collection of Father Tom Jamieson, Renfrew. Purchased directly from the artist and thence by descent to the present owners.
Footnote
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, musicians were to feature heavily in Byrne's output. He had attended school with Jim Rafferty, brother of Gerry, who of course went on to become a celebrated singer-songwriter. Through Rafferty, Byrne also forged a friendship with Billy Connolly, whose career began as a folk musician before it pivoted towards comedy. Byrne famously designed the cover for the Humblebums first LP in 1969, and later the first three albums by Stealer’s Wheel. Byrne would also work closely with Donovan, another famous Glasgow son, who commissioned him in 1971 to design a cover for HMS Donovan, an album of children’s songs. They also worked on an animated film together – Donovan’s answer to Yellow Submarine - relocating for a month to Los Angeles together. The project never came to full fruition, however.
In 2015, the two friends reunited to stage an exhibition dedicated to Donovan's career at Glasgow's House For An Art Lover which was curated by Byrne and featured many works pertaining to their artistic collaborations.