Edward Gage, 1925-2000

Born in Gullane, East Lothian, Gage studied at Edinburgh College of Art, although his studies were disrupted by military service during World War II. A travelling scholarship enabled him to spend time in Mallorca in 1950, where the poet Robert Graves was a neighbour. Back in Edinburgh, he became art master at Fettes College, a post he held for 17 years, then becoming a lecturer at Napier College (now Napier University) for 12 years. From 1966-1995, he was art critic for the Scotsman, and produced a book on contemporary painting, The Eye of the Wind, in 1977. Gage designed stage sets and produced illustrations for magazines but painting was his first love, and he exhibited regularly, producing mainly watercolours often inspired by Mediterranean travel.