Cartoon of the devil emerging from a church window

DEMON DRINK

20 May–2 October 2022
Hunterian Art Gallery
Admission free

This fascinating new exhibition explores the theme of alcohol in art and the contradiction of the positive and negative consequences of the ‘demon drink’.

Blending items from The Hunterian collections with the artwork of internationally renowned graphic artist Frank Quitely, Demon Drink examines themes including the consumption of alcohol, the Temperance Movement, indulgence and the overlap between high art, popular culture and marketing. It also explores the process of making art.

The one-room exhibition connects works made at different periods in time and for very different purposes, ranging from mythological prints such as 'Venus, Bacchus and Ceres' by Hendrik Goltzius (1595) which shows drink as a convivial aphrodisiac, to raucous everyday scenes like 'The Drunken Couple' by Cornelis Dusart (1685) and William Hogarth’s moralising 'Gin Lane' (1751).

As well as these historical depictions, Demon Drink also features stunning new artwork of the Devil on Islay, created for Bowmore whisky by Glasgow-based comic artist Frank Quitely. The exhibition presents this popular art form in a ‘high art’ setting and includes preparatory sketches that show Frank Quitely’s creative process. 

Other highlights include 19th and 20th century Temperance Society medals, a cup from Miss Cranston’s tearooms in Glasgow, a silver flask owned by the American artist James McNeill Whistler and a 1980 image of street drinkers in Glasgow by renowned MAGNUM photographer Raymond Depardon.

Header image: Frank Quitely, No Corners to Hide (detail), 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Bowmore.

VISITOR INFORMATION

  • Demon Drink is at the Hunterian Art Gallery from 20 May–2 October 2022.
  • Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am–5pm. Closed Monday. Please check our Opening Hours page before you visit.
  • Back to Exhibition Programme.