George Leslie Hunter

Born in Rothesay in 1879, George Leslie Hunter emigrated to California in 1892 where his father bought a farm. He spent all his time drawing and when his family came back in 1900 he stayed to become part of the Bohemian lifestyle of San Francisco. He earned money by acquiring illustration work for newspapers and magazines. He went to New York with friends and then on to Paris in 1904 working in each city for a few months. Back in San Francisco he lost everything in the 1906 earthquake and shortly thereafter returned permanently to Scotland. He had his first solo exhibition with Alexander Reid in Glasgow in 1915, an association which continued until his death in 1931.

From 1923 he exhibited with Peploe and Cadell as the Three Scottish Colourists and he spent much of the twenties in France, often subsidised by Reid and a coterie of dedicated collectors including T.J. Honeyman who wrote his biography after his untimely death at 54. He also showed regularly with The Scottish Gallery and we have continued to deal actively in his work in recent years.