The Fine Art Society

The Fine Art Society, established in 1876, is a renowned British art dealership with a rich history and a significant impact on the art world. The company was founded by a group of passionate collectors who sought to create a platform for promoting Scottish and British art, design, and decorative arts from the 18th century to the post-war period.

The Fine Art Society quickly gained prominence as a print seller, dealer, and publisher, producing many fine art books and extensive exhibition catalogues over the years. The gallery has been instrumental in the promotion of contemporary artists since the 1870s, introducing impressionist artists such as William Stott of Oldham and Walter Sickert to the British public. The gallery's exhibitions have been known to shape art history, with famous examples like James McNeill Whistler's *An Arrangement in White and Yellow* in 1883 and Alfred East's *Pictures and Drawings of the Landscape of Japan* in 1890.

The Fine Art Society's role in promoting and exhibiting British Impressionist and Modern movements was crucial, with Whistler playing a key role in introducing impressionist artists to Britain. The gallery's exhibitions featured maverick modernists on the international scene, such as Leon Bakst and Tsuguharu Foujita, alongside British realists like William Strang, Dame Laura Knight, Gluck, and Ernest and Dod Procter.

In the late 20th century, the company expanded to Edinburgh, establishing a strong link with Scottish art and artists. The gallery has been instrumental in the revival of key Scottish artists, including John Lavery and the Glasgow Boys, and the transformation of Charles Rennie Macintosh from an art historical curiosity to a valuable cultural property in Scottish art and design.

The Fine Art Society has also staged major exhibitions celebrating designers and craftspeople who have contributed to the vitality of decorative art and design for over 150 years. The company's exhibitions have been the result of fruitful partnerships with passionate collectors, academics, curators, artists, designers, and craftspeople, building a unique and enduring position in the rich fabric of British art history.