25 years on from its closure, a small piece of Edinburgh's Mercury Gallery is back on show

Run by pioneering London gallerist Gillian Raffles as a sister space to her London gallery of the same name, its aim was to promote the work of leading Scottish artists, including Blackadder, her husband John Houston and John Bellany.

This week, 25 years on from its closure, a small piece of Edinburgh's Mercury Gallery is back on show in the Capital during August as part of Lyon & Turnbull's Contemporary Art Festival edition sale. The auction takes place this Wednesday and features more than 20 works from Raffles' personal collection, including paintings by Blackadder, Houston, David Michie and John Bellany. The works will be on display in the fine art auctioneer's Broughton Place sale room on until the sale.

According to Philip Long, who curated a major retrospective of Blackadder's work at the National Galleries of Scotland in 2011, Gillian Raffles 'had a distinctive role in Scotland's culture with a terrific eye for great artists and great works of art.' Mr Long, now the Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, was an art student in Edinburgh when he first visited Raffle's Edinburgh gallery in the 1980s.

He explains: "For a couple of decades Gillian's gallery was a constant presence in Edinburgh, exhibiting excellent Scottish, wider British, and European works of art alongside each other – which was unusual. It was small, welcoming and there was always something fascinating to see and learn about."

Raffles, widely regarded as a doyenne of the London – and Edinburgh – art scene died, aged 90, in November 2021. Her friend, Blackadder, died a few months earlier, in August 2021, aged 89.

The gallerist had connections to the Capital as her daughter Franki Raffles, a respected feminist photographer, was based in Edinburgh. Franki, who died December 1994, aged 39, co-founded the groundbreaking Zero Tolerance campaign, which raised awareness about domestic violence against women and children.

Following on from the success of her Cork Street gallery in London, which had been running since 1964, Gillian Raffles opened The Mercury Gallery in Edinburgh gallery in 1982.

It provided a vital platform for Scottish artists and further reinforced Raffles' commitment to supporting figurative art beyond the London art scene at a time when abstract and conceptual trends dominated the agenda of collectors.

Raffles and Blackadder maintained a long and fruitful relationship over the decades, with solo exhibitions held every two years. They carefully avoided inflating prices, ensuring accessibility for collectors.

As Raffles once noted: "You never read about Elizabeth in the gossip columns or hear her work is selling for record prices... but I don’t think she has any regrets."

The Mercury Gallery in Edinburgh showcased a diverse range of works, including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper with one notable exhibition.

Charlotte Riordan, Head of Contemporary Art with Lyon & Turnbull, says of the Gillian Raffles Collection: "Gillian Raffles was a force of nature in the art world in an era when it was unusual for women to run their own galleries. She first established the Mercury Gallery in 1964, as a space for emerging artists as well as the more established. She also championed work by the historically overlooked and unheralded.

"She was renowned as someone who was fearless and supportive to artists. Her connection to Scottish artists has been well documented and she bought their work for her own collection. Her Edinburgh gallery was much loved and a magnet for artists and collectors alike."

In 1984, Raffles curated an exhibition of over 30 silk scarves designed by leading twentieth century artists from the Ascher textile company’s collection. She displayed the scarves as artworks rather than fashion items, reflecting her consistently innovative approach to curating.

The Mercury Gallery on The Mound played an important role in the city’s cultural landscape for several years before ceasing operations around 2000, helping to put several Scots on the London map.