Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- c1956-2012 (Creation)
Level of description
Folder
Extent
3 items
Content and Structure
Scope and content
Three Christmas cards addressed to Veronica Matthew made by Alasdair Gray.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
Alasdair Gray was born in Riddrie in Glasgow in 1934. He studied at The Glasgow School of Art from 1952 to 1957. As an artist, he specialised in mural, narrative paintings, still life, figurative subjects and portraits and worked in oil and the occasional watercolour. His murals are shown at the Oran Mor venue and in the Hillhead Subway Station, both in Glasgow.
The main themes in his paintings were the Garden of Eden and triumph of death. He published numerous forms of literature including novels, short stories, plays, poetry, essays, and translations. He wrote about politics and the history of British literature including realism, fantasy, and science fiction. As a prolific author and illustrator, his best-known book titled 'Lanark' (1981) is seen as a landmark in Scottish literature. He won various awards for his typography, illustrations, and written works. Since 1979, he exhibited three times at the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) in Edinburgh and the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts 29 times.
Considered a polymath, he suffered from bad eczema and asthma. Politically, he was Left and supported Scottish independence. In 1961, he was married to Inge Sorensen until 1970. In 1991, he married Morag McAlpine who died in May 2014. In 2015, he had a bad fall and was confined to a wheelchair for a time. Gray passed away in 2019 the age of 85; he left his body to science. He is survived by his son, Andrew, and a granddaughter. His work has been exhibited in Glasgow Museums, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Library of Scotland, and the Hunterian Museum.
Archival history
Custodial history
1957 Christmas cards - Donated to GSA in August 2017, accession reference number JAC/93.
2012 Christmas card - Donated to GSA in July 2022, accession reference number JAC/358.
Physical Description and Conditions of Use
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical Description
Scraperboard, paper, and ink
Dimensions: 247 x 155 mm
Finding aids
Related Material
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Keywords/Tags
Place access points
People and Organisations
- Matthew, Veronica (Subject)
- Gray, Alasdair (Subject)
Genre access points
Status
Level of detail
Processing information
Catalogued by Ella Grad-Arndt, work placement, Apr 2023
Language(s)
- English