Man in a Red Tunic

Today's the day ……………………… for a trial run

Because the house as well as the garden of the National Trust for Scotland's Broughton House in Kirkcudbright is going to be open to visitors from this weekend on, they have been busy getting things ready.  They were asking for volunteers to come and try out the systems put in place to make sure that it will be a safe environment for all - and we were happy to put our names down for a slot.

It's a few years since we've been round the house and I'd forgotten what a gem it is.  It was the home and gallery of the Scottish impressionist artist E. A Hornel, who lived there with his sister Elizabeth between 1901 and his death in 1933.  It is full of his paintings - like the one above of a fellow artist, painted when Hornel was in Antwerp in 1885.

The one in extras is one of the many unfinished canvases that he left.  They give a good insight into the way that he painted.  In this picture depicting three girls, Hornel has painted directly on to the canvas without sketching an outline - and has chosen to start by filling in the colour of the faces.

The house contains a priceless collection of paintings, artefacts and books – including one of the largest collections in the world of Robert Burns.  It is well worth a visit if you're in the vicinity ……………………….