Originally published on Art UK and BBC Arts.

The Leith-born artist John Duncan Fergusson (1874–1961) was as a leading figure of the Scottish Colourists, though he was essentially self-taught. First trained as a naval surgeon, Fergusson decided to abandon medical pursuits for a bohemian life as a painter.

A painter and sculptor whose artistic style shifted as frequently as his geographical location, Fergusson's love for travel took him to Africa and across Europe, where he mingled with the avant-gardists and the artists of French Impressionism. Later his work would take inspiration from the Fauvists and adopt a radical approach to colour...