Despite being one of Scotland's most acclaimed and influential painters, the life of John Bellany was one of difficulty and turbulence - reflected by the dark and tortured tone of many of his paintings. Bellany was born into a family of fishermen in 1942, but ventured away from the family trade by studying at the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. During the 1970s and 1980s, Bellany's art drew on the difficulties occurring in his personal life, including his battle with alcoholism, separation from his first wife and death of his second wife. Within a few hours of undergoing a liver transplant, the artist painted a gruelling set of works called the 'Addenbrooke's Hospital Series', depicting his own recovery and those caring for him. Today, Bellany's paintings are displayed across the world in prestigious institutions, including the MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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