John Knox

Glasgow Fair

Deserving to be better known than he is, John Knox painted striking views of Glasgow that explored the city’s ongoing modernisation and its increasing social complexity. Glasgow Fair is an ambitious work, offering a wry, gentle satirical view of contemporary Glasgow society and its absorption of what had once been distinct or ‘eccentric’. Among the booths and numerous shows on offer are campaigners for the abolition of slavery.

c.1819-22
Oil on canvas