Leyden Gallery are delighted to present their first Summer Salon, an exhibition which showcases a sensational array of work from both established artists and an exciting and eclectic group of upcoming artists. A feature of this remarkable exhibition will be the mixture of classical and contemporary artworks; ranging from a fabulous highlight painting ‘The Bell Rock Lighthouse’ by the esteemed 19th century artist Robert Weir Allan, which was last exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1911, to contemporary New York artists, Nan Goldin & Vivienne Koorland. Esteemed British artists Prunella Clough, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Stephen Conroy and Josef Herman are also represented in the Salon along with younger talented artists such as Jake Wood-Evans and Roxy Walsh. The thrill of the Salon enables this talented group of emerging artists to exhibit their work in fascinating dialogue, shoulder-to-shoulder, with some of the most respected names in British art.

Artists on show include but are not limited to the following:

Robert Weir Allan (1852-1942) was born in Glasgow. He was a landscape and marine artist, painting in both oils and watercolours. He was also an etcher. He studied under Julians in Paris. Allan toured India from 1891 to 1892 and toured Japan in 1907. Robert Weir Allan was commissioned to paint a portrait of Lloyd George in 1934. He became a regular exhibitor at the French Salon, winning medals in 1899 and 1900. Leyden Gallery is pleased to offer for sale the painting, The Bell Rock Lighthouse (oil on canvas, 34in x 48in) by the prestigious Scottish artist Robert Weir Allan, a painting which was last exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy in 1911. Robert Weir Allan's work can be seen in numerous Public Collections in Britain, Europe and America, and is also cherished by international collectors.

Nan Goldin (1953- ) is an American photographer. She lives and works in New York, Berlin and Paris. She had her first solo-show in 1973 and in 1978, after graduating Goldin moved to New York and is known for her candid documentation of the New York post-punk new-wave scene.

Vivienne Koorland (1957- ) was born in Cape Town, South Africa. After finishing her studies in Cape Town she was awarded grants to study in Paris, Berlin, New York and Maine. Her layering of content and material invests her work with meaning beyond its historic and narrative sources. She currently lives and works in New York.

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912-2004) was one of the foremost British abstract artists. She studied in Edinburgh College of Art and graduated in 1937. In the last decade of her life she produced astonishing numbers of prints. Throughout her life she has had a huge impact on modern art in Britain and she is held in major collections of art, including The Tate.

Joan Eardley (1921-1963) was a British artist who set up a studio in Glasgow and became known for her drawings and paintings of poor city children. Her work was already highly acclaimed during her life and The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has many of her works. Her success lays in her ability to combine the acute, uncompromising painter's eye with a warm human sympathy and understanding.

Prunella Clough (1919-1999) was a prominent British artist. She attended Chelsea School of Arts in London. Her subjects are closely observed details and scenes from the landscape. The images are combined and filtered through memory, and evolve through a slow process of layering and re-working. She was awarded many times for her work. She was also a printmaker and draughtsman and during 1950s she made a lot of lithographs, etchings and drawings.

Joseph Henderson (1832-1908) was a Scottish painter, who throughout his life painted everything from landscapes to portraits. He studied in Edinburgh and started off as a portrait painter and then found his true passion in marine painting after 20 years. He exhibited his work in The Royal Scottish Academy and also in The Royal Academy in London. He was considered as one of Scotland’s finest artists during his lifetime.

Lyman Byxbe (1886-1980) was born in Illinois, USA and was a well-known American artist. He set up a studio in Estes Park and gained a lot of attention doing etchings for residents and tourists. He also got national recognition with his work during the 1930’s and had a solo exhibition in The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Stephen Conroy (1964- ) is a contemporary Scottish figurative painter who studied at The Glasgow School of Art. In 1986 he won first prize for painting at the *Royal Academy's British Institute Fund Awards and his degree show sold out. By 1989 his work was already famous all over the United Kingdom and also internationally.

Jake Wood-Evans recently graduated from Falmouth University winning the title of Free Range 'Most Promising Graduate'. A Royal Academy Scholarship to the Prado Museum in Madrid followed. Jake has exhibited in several group shows across the UK. However, most recently Leyden Gallery presented his highly acclaimed and successful first ever solo exhibition called ‘Darkness Visible’.

Roxy Walsh is an artist who lives and works in London; she makes rich, luxuriant paintings in watercolour onto paper, panel and linen. Her recent show ‘Two Tongues Tied’ was Leyden Gallery’s first solo exhibition. Roxy Walsh also works collaboratively with Sally Underwood, most recently in ‘Dependent Rational Animals’ at Towner in Eastbourne.

Sue Clayton is a feature and documentary film writer and director. Her seminal film Song of the Shirt, made in 1981 with Jonathan Curling, featured recently at Tate Liverpool. Her newly commissioned series of prints ‘Fournier Street’ made especially for Leyden Gallery in 2013 as part of their inaugural exhibition ‘Fabricate’ also recently exhibited at the Tate. This extraordinary body of work now returns to Leyden Gallery as part of the Summer Salon.