Angus McBride avliden

[Ny Björn]

Angus McBride skall ha avlidit den 15:e. Även om han på senare år tappade mycket av stringensen i sina bilder så är hans liv och gärning väl värda både en tanke och en skål!

/N B

[Djingis Khan]

Tråkigt. Även om han gjort sig skyldig till en del lustigheter i vissa Ospreytitlar är de flesta av hans alster klart suveräna. Och han hann ju inte med så lite illustrationer under sin karriär...

[stefanmbop]

Det hela är ju sorgligt sorgligt men Angus gärning kommer att leva länge länge och öppna upp fönstret tillbaka mot historien för många generationer framåt. Inte illa utfört av en som växte upp som föräldralös pojke på barnhem. Han lär ha fått en hjärtattack i trädgården hos sin dotter på Irland. Han blev 76 år.
När jag hörde nyheten skrev jag följande på Company of Saint Georges mejlinglista( en internationell 1400-talsgrupp med ett flertal vänner till de flesta av Ospreykonstnärerna ).
Jag behöver väl inte översätta engelskan hoppas jag :


I quote the Osprey website:

"It is with great sadness that we have to announce the
passing away of Angus McBride, one of the world's most
respected historical illustrators and a true friend of
Osprey."

For me the Art of Angus McBride was an early
inspiration both for my Re-enactment hobby and my
ambitions as an artist.Not to mention History and
Military History in particular. He surely fuelled my
interest in the early middle ages with incredible
paintings of Parthians, Carolingians and Celts.
His Normans and 14th Century knights ARE flesh and
blood in goache.

He had an unique ability to convey a mood and a drama.
His rendition of the critical moment at Hastings when
William raise his helmet to show his face to his
worried brothers-in-arms is such one dramatic
masterpiece.
Another one is the last stand of Olav Tryggvason and
his hirdmen in the stern of Ormen Lange.
This particular image actually inspired me to found a
viking Re-enactment group in Gothenburg !

Due to his years as a commercial illustrator he had
achived a true masters´ ability to render materials
and light in that particulary complicated media
gouache and this paired with a classical education in
and a very good eye for COMPOSITION ( which so many
illustrators sadly lack today )he invited the wievers
eyes to wander exactly where he wanted in the picture.
It is no coincidence his pictures are very often
copied in metal figurine scenes.
And very often even if i was not interested in the era
depicted in one of his pictures I could just admire
and enjoy his sheer technique for it´s own sake.

It is true that Angus also made a lot of quick
paintings full of strange anatomy and artifacts the
last years and that many pictures depicting the late
middle ages wasn´t his best work...but just take a
look at his Napoleonic work and he is very much
forgiven. And I am a true beliver of what he used to
call "the Period Face " namely the idea that certain
faces fit in certain historical contexts. Which means
that Angus now is happy among friends beside a fire in
the 16th century Highlands. A very long Claymore in
one hand and a cup of Whisky in the other.

For Auld Lang Syne Angus ! Thank you for your art
-it will surely live on to honour your memory.
I am glad you made so much.

I raise a cup for you

Stefan H