The Glasgow Four: Charles Rennie Mackintosh & Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh

by Dr. Anne Anderson FSA

First published: August 21st, 2024

In his lifetime, innovative architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh was lauded throughout Europe. Yet, unlike his contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright, his potential was never fully realised, and Mackintosh ended his days in obscurity. Moreover, the part played by Margaret Macdonald, his wife, and her sister Frances, in creating a unique Glasgow style is only now being fully acknowledged. Herbert MacNair, who married Frances, completed the Glasgow quartet. The Four, as they were known, drew on Japanese prints, the Arts and Crafts ethos, Celtic ornament, and the graphics of Aubrey Beardsley to create a unique variant of the New Art. Dr. Anne Anderson FSA joins Arts & Crafts In August from the UK to present the style of The Glasgow Four.