In the summer of 1963 Philipson was at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a visiting artist; he became interested in American-Indian culture and made a trip to New Mexico. the mission churches in some of the villages, built very simply of mud, or logs and grass, left a strong impression on him. The catalogue for the exhibition Robin Philipson Retrospective held at Edinburgh College of Art in 1989 records "the altar ... had no gold, only yellow paint and simple, modest drawing, but it was majestic, magnificent". Over the following years Philipson sought to recreate the primitive dignity of such churches in a series of Mexican altarpieces and interiors, using different colours and media to capture their extraordinary grandeur. Mexican Retable has been has been exhibited in a number of exhibitions of Philipson's work, including a retrospective show in 1999 at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. 

Sir Robin Philipson PRSA RA RSW, 1916-1992

Born in Cumbria, Philipson was educated in Whitehaven and Dumfries as a consequence of his father being moved around in his job with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. In 1936 Philipson enrolled at Edinburgh College of Art, where his teachers were David Alison, John Maxwell and William Gilles. On graduation in 1940 he went into the army, joining the King's Own Scottish Borderers and serving in India and Burma. After demobilisation he underwent a short period od teach-training before joining he staff of Edinburgh College of Art in 1947. In a distinguished career he served the college for thirty-five years, the last twenty-two as Head of the School of Drawing and Painting balancing the roles of teacher, administrator and painter.
Philipson exhibited widely throughout his career. His paintings were included in a 1952 touring exhibition Young Contemporary Painters organised by the Scottish Arts Council, and in 1954 and 1958 he was given one-man shows at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. These were followed by two solo exhibitions in London at Roland, Browse and Deblanco in 1960 and 1962. Philipson was elected President of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1973, an office he held for ten years, and in 1976 he was knighted.