Glasgow artists collaborate on painting of Van Gogh

Peter Howson and Ross Muir met while walking their dogs in Glasgow's west end

An art collaboration between two of Scotland's most notable painters Peter Howson and Ross Muir has been revealed.

The pair have joined forces to create a painting of artist Vincent van Gogh, which combines Howson's powerful, muscular style with Muir's trademark twist of a retro Adidas tracksuit.

Entitled Two Sons, the work of art is a remake of Muir's Square Gogh piece, which brought him to national fame in 2018.

The collaboration began by chance when Howson and Muir met while walking their dogs in a park in Glasgow's west end.

The painting will go on public display in 2026 at an undisclosed venue before going on private sale.

The new Two Sons painting is a remake of Muir's viral Square Gogh with Howson's muscular style

Muir, who is known for his witty re-imaginings of iconic artworks, told the BBC's Radio Scotland's Breakfast he was confident he could combine his and Howson's styles.

"We had had a couple of conversations and I kept thinking I could do Square Gogh in his style," he said.

"I started it by myself, but then the painting got better and better.

"It was looking more like his, it was looking more like mine, so I sent an image to him and eventually he told me he loved it - it just worked."

Muir's Square Gogh painting went viral in 2018 and was recognised by the Van Gogh Museum

Throughout the 1980s, Howson, who had spent time in the army and travelling before returning to Glasgow, became known for his depictions of working-class life which told stories of economic hardship and social tension.

He became the official British war artist for Bosnia in the 1990s, where he created some of his most-talked about works, including The Massacre of Srebrenica.

Muir said: "Peter is one of the greatest living artists of our time, and I've looked up to him since the day I first picked up a brush.

"You can't escape his influence in the Glasgow art scene - his work is everywhere, in the best collections and in every conversation about painting.

"And when you finally see a Howson piece in the flesh, you understand exactly why."

The background of the artwork echoes Van Gogh's Starry Night with two suns hanging in the sky that aim to represent the meeting of the two artists and their styles.

"Two Sons is both of us on the canvas, exactly as we are," Muir added.

Muir said the combination of his and Howson's styles "just worked"