Ian Cheyne
(1895 - 1955)
 

Born in Broughty Ferry, Cheyne was educated at Glasgow Academy and studied at Glasgow School of Art. Originally a painter, he began to experiment with woodcuts, and colour woodcuts of Scottish, Spanish and French landscapes became his prime interest. However he continued to produce still lifes and landscapes in oils. In his woodcuts, Cheyne’s use of flat planes and curved forms gives his work an Art Deco feel. Japanese woodcuts were also an influence, particularly their lack of tonal depth and treatment of perspective. Cheyne exhibited regularly at the Royal Scottish Academy from 1920 until the end of his life.

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/ian-cheyne

Hell's Glen
1928
Colour woodcut on paper (16/20)
25.20 x 29.80 cm (paper 28.00 x 32.10 cm)
National Galleries Scotland
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/15559/hells-glen

Hell’s Glen can be found on the way to Lochgoilhead, a small village on the Cowal Peninsula in the west coast of Scotland. The rocks to the left of the bridge are known locally as ‘Moses Well’. The flat planes of colour and curving lines of this woodcut are influenced by Art Deco designs and Japanese prints. The hills in the foreground appear to be dappled with sunlight, which contrasts with the forbidding dark mountain and heavy grey clouds overhead, which give the image an ominous feeling.