E.A. Hornel

Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933) was the artist most closely associated with Kirkcudbright, a member of the Glasgow Boys who settled in the town in 1901 at Broughton House. Known for his richly decorative paintings of children, flowers, and Japanese scenes, Hornel was a pivotal figure in bringing international artistic attention to Kirkcudbright. His two visits to Japan (1893-94 with George Henry, and 1907) profoundly influenced his style. He bequeathed Broughton House and its Japanese garden to the town.

Hornel sought to dissolve form into pure colour and pattern, creating a decorative art that drew equally on Japanese aesthetics and the Galloway landscape.