Nicola Sturgeon unveiled her first official Christmas card this afternoon. Eschewing the current political tradition of excruciating festive poses with partners, she chose an understated image rescued from the archives of the Glasgow School of Art after the devastating fire that ripped through the Mackintosh building earlier this year.
The card features a winter scene by the late Phyliss Dodd, artist and wife of former Glasgow School of Art director Douglas Percy Bliss. Two of Dodd’s portraits hung in the GSA but were lost in the fire. Her husband was director for 18 years, until 1964, and was responsible for saving much of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s work at the end of the war when his style became unfashionable.
Sturgeon said:
Christmas is a time for reflection and this year has been an unforgettable one for all those who have studied, worked or had a connection to this world leading school of art. The fire was a devastating loss, not only for this year’s students but for the many who have in some way been inspired or moved by the magic of one of Scotland’s greatest artists - Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
While some artefacts and pieces will sadly never be recovered or replaced, I felt that it was appropriate to demonstrate that there is still hope when some small historical pieces as beautiful as this have survived and can now be enjoyed by many people this Christmas.
Proceeds from the sale of the card in 2015 will go to the Mackintosh Appeal, as well as other Scottish charities.
It’s a shame that new FM didn’t go with something by one of the students who lost work in the fire - I saw some great metallic larvae at their salvage show in June. But the Dodd scene is at least cosier than Alex Salmond’s choice last year, a distinctly non-cuddly Peter Howson portrait of the fourth wise man, whom it is claimed arrived too late in Bethlehem to witness the baby Jesus.
Talking of cuddly - Sturgeon also released her Christmas message today, in conjunction with the youth charity Young Scot.
The YouTube production appears to be a take-off of that scene in Love Actually where Andrew Lincoln reveals himself to be stalking Keira Knightly and Knightly, mysteriously, doesn’t slam the door in his face.
No matter. The message seems to be that the people of Scotland should love teenagers like we love children, or soup, or onesies, but that we don’t have to buy them any Christmas presents.
I kinda loved the way that Sturgeon is smiling really genuinely the whole way through, which is a useful life lesson for anyone confronted by a group of mute strangers with sign-boards this Christmas.
Some people seemed to have trouble getting into the seasonal swing on this one:
Personally, I was moved out the door, and will be spending the rest of the festive season accosting teenagers on Great Western Road to tell them that I love them like soup. I live near two secondary schools so I imagine that’ll go down really well.
