Dr Keava McMillan explores the moment in time that forged the evocative painting of Greengate Close by Dorothy Johnstone.

About the Artist

Dorothy Johnstone (1892-1980) first exhibited her paintings at the Royal Scottish Academy when still a teenager. She studied in Edinburgh, Italy, and Paris and throughout the early decades of the twentieth century (1910s-1920s) was known for her distinctive portraits which captured the essence of her sitters. She taught at Edinburgh College of Art, inspiring a new generation of women artists, before moving to Aberdeen when her husband D. M. Sutherland was appointed Director of Gray's School of Art. In Aberdeen, she continued to produce intimate, understated work until her death in 1980.

About Greengate Close

Greengate Close in Kirkcudbright is a row of small cottages, linked by a cobbled path and a garden enclosed by trees. In the early 20th century this lane in rural Scotland became a place where women could work, live, and create together. The Greengate Close Coterie (https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2024/06/greengate-close/)

About the Speaker

Dr Keava McMillan is a cultural historian focusing on queer interwar art. She studied Art History at the University of Aberdeen and gained her PhD in Visual Culture here and is now a Lecturer in Gender History at the University of Glasgow. She has presented her research on the artists of Greengate Close at the V&A Dundee, Edinburgh College of Art, and Historic Environment Scotland. In 2025 WayWORD Aberdeen commissioned The Fairy Family, a handbound pamphlet on queer stories and fairytales inspired by Greengate Close.

Dorothy Johnstone, Greengate Close c1918, © the artist's estate

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