Friday 24 August 2012

The National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh




THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
All of the pictures here will enlarge if you click them, they can't really be seen properly in the small version.

Sometime last year I visited the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (without my camera) and was most impressed. I have the guide book and my scanner and I’ve found a few photos on line and using these I think I can put together a virtual tour around this wonderful gallery. If you are EVER in Edinburgh please, please. Find the time to do a ‘real’ tour of this marvelous l gallery. The building itself is an excellent example of home grown Scottish Architecture and its contents are a real treasure trove of Scottish History.

Scottish Architect, Sir Robert Rowand Anderson (1834-1921)’
The building mixes Italian and Gothic styles and was constructed between 1885 and 1890 by; Scottish Architect, Sir Robert Rowand Anderson (1834-1921)’ as the National Museum of Antiquities. It’s built using red Dumfries sandstone with a facade decorated with statues of famous Scots. The north- and east-facing elevations display elaborate decorative sculptures of Scottish Poets, Monarchs and Statesmen watching over Queen Street and North St Andrew Street leaving William Wallace and Robert the Bruce to guard the grand entrance. The building and museum were a gift to the nation from John Richie Findlay (1824-98), owner of the Scotsman newspaper, who donated £50,000 for its construction. The National Museum of Antiquities shared the building with the Portrait Gallery until its collection was relocated to the new Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street in 1999.
The interior has a hallway with a gallery at first floor level with gothic arches and decorative painted friezes. Inside the building the Main Hall is  serves as an introduction to Scottish history. Along the first-floor balustrade runs a processional or pageant frieze that depicts many famous Scots in reverse chronological order, starting with Thomas Carlyle. This was designed as a ‘visual encyclopedia’ and includes figures such as David Livingstone, James Watt, Robert Burns, Adam Smith, David Hume, the Stuart Monarchs, Robert the Bruce and Saint Ninian. The artist;
William Hole, also painted a series of large-scale murals on the first floor. Like the frieze, these paintings are scenes from Scottish history and are  a part of the fabric of the building, but they also tell the story of Scotlands history and act as a  memorial to the galleries  founder, John Ritchie Findlay.
This gallery is special in another way too; it is the only gallery to accept works of an inferior quality and /or from unknown artists on the basis that the sitter made a recognized contribution toward Scottish History.

Please, take a tour of this gallery;
THE EXHIBITS


1.    Mary of Guise, 1515-1560, by Cornelia de lyon. Mary was the second wife of James V of Scotland and mother of Mary Queen of Scots. She was a French Princess and widow of the Grand Chamberlain of France Louis, Duke of longueville. This lady is one of my all time favourite ladies of Scottish history. She arrived in Scotland from the grand Renaissance court of France, one of the most civilized and cultured courts in the western world, expecting to find Scotland cold, barbaric and inhospitable. On her arrival at Linlithgow Palace where she was met by her king it was recorded that she said ‘she never saw in France, nor in any other country, so many good faces in so little room, as she saw that day in Scotland’ She then said of Linlithgow that she had ‘never seen a more princely Palace’. From a lady of the French court this was proof (if anyone should need proof) that Scotland held its own in every way in Renaissance Europe. She immediately set about learning the Scots tongue which endeared her to the Scottish people and, following the death of her husband in 1542, ruled Scotland as regent for many years.  
2.    Mary Queen of Scots by an unknown artist. This lady has to be one of the most romantic characters from Scottish history. This is an early seventeenth century copy and derives from the time of her captivity. Queen Elizabeth 1 of England (her cousin) feared Mary had a claim to the English throne (because Mary was recognized internationally as a legitimate heir of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth was often considered illegitimate). Consequently Elizabeth had Mary imprisoned in England for many years before finally signing the warrant for her execution on charges of plotting her assassination. Mary Queen of Scots died on the scaffold of Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, 8th February 1587.
3.    Lady Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll (1574-1607); painted 1599, attributed to Adrian Vanson. Lady Agnes and her 6 sisters were known throughout Scotland and abroad for their stunning good looks and beauty. They were collectively known as ‘The seven pearls of Lochleven’. This painting is the equivalent of today’s fashion shoot; it shows a young woman of 25 dressed in her most fashionable and expensive clothes and jewelry. Her red hair, for which she was especially famous, is swept up and padded into a distinctive heart shape which is highlighted by rows and rows of tiny seed pearls. The painter may have taken artistic license with this work in the same way as a modern photographer would air brush his work to achieve the desired results.
4.    James V1 of Scotland, 1604, unknown artist. James V1 of Scotland was the only child of Mary Queen of Scots and her second husband lord Darnley and inherited the throne of Scotland, as a child, on his mothers forced abdication in 1567. He ruled Scotland for many years before being offered the English Throne on the death of Elizabeth 1 of England.  Elizabeth Tudor died without heir and James was the closest blood relative and also a direct descendant of Henry Tudor. At this precise point in history Scotland and England began to merge, in 1603 James moved to England and ruled Scotland from a distance of 500 miles, things were never the same after that.
5.    Charles 1 as a child by Robert Peake. This painting shows a quiet shy boy strutting about in his Sunday best to get his portrait taken. This young lad grew into the king who, through his stubbornness and insistence on clinging onto the old belief system of the Divine right of Kings and absolutism, together with unrealistic fiscal and ecclesiastical policies, fanned the flames of civil war. He was executed by beheading on 30 January 1649 on the orders of Cromwell.
6.    Lord Mungo Murray,  circa 1680, by John Michael Wright. This guy was the fifth son of the Marquis of Athol, one of the great Highland Chieftains.  His mother came from a titled Irish family and this painting was probably painted in Ireland sometime in the 1680’s, with the purpose of showing a Nobel Scottish Highlander in National Dress. Mungo Murray was one of many romantic young Scots, he died fighting while very young, in a failed attempt to establish a Scottish colony in Panama. 
7.    Princess Elizabeth 1635-1650 and Princess Anne 1637-1640, by Sir Anthony van Dyck.  This is an oil study for the painting ‘The Five Eldest children of Charles 1’, and shows two year old Elizabeth and baby Anne. Neither child survived into adulthood, they both suffered tuberculosis and Anne died as an infant. Elizabeth survived until her teens when she died, partly as a result of being imprisoned during the civil war and partly as a result of ill health. The painting for which the study was made showed the children of Charles 1 and Henrietta Maria and is still held by the Royal family.
8.    Queen Anne 1665-1714 by Willem Wissing and Jan van der Vaardt. This lady was the last Stewart Monarch to rule either Scotland OR England. She and her older sister Mary were the children of James V11 Scotland (11 of England) and his first wife Anne Hyde. James V11 was driven from the country because of his staunch catholic beliefs; at first the throne went to Mary and her husband William of Orange and after that it finally passed to Anne and her husband George of Denmark.  What James V1 of Scotland (James 1 of England) started in 1603 with the union of the Scottish and English crowns; Anne finished with the union of the Scottish and English parliaments in 1707. The Scottish parliament died under the rule of a Scottish Stuart Monarch ruling both countries from the English Court.
9.    William Bruce 1630-1710, by John Michael Wright. Bruce was one of the earliest distinctively Scottish Architects. Prior to this time it was usual for there to be a master of works but not specifically an architect.  He was a leading architect during the second half of the seventeenth century. He reconstructed and redecorated Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for the Stuart Kings and he pioneered the classical style of architecture at Hopetoun and Kinross house which he built for himself. The new classical style of architecture was a complete break from the Defensive Tower House which had been the accepted norm in Scotland until that time.
10.    Prince Charles Edward Stewart, 1720-1788, by Antonio David. This was painted in Rome when he was 12 years old. Prince Charles Edward Stewart, more commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, son of Prince James Francis Edward Stewart, was brought up in exile in Rome, was as staunchly catholic as his father and had trained for a military life.  Charles thought he could regain his fathers throne for him by military means but on all occasions was defeated. His last attempt was in 1745 when he landed in the Scottish Hebrides with just a few followers. He quickly gained support from the highland clans. His Jacobite army occupied Edinburgh, captured Carlisle and went on to attack Derby. The crushing and final defeat came at Culloden in 1746.
11.    Flora Macdonald 1722-1790, by  Richard Wilson. The very famous Jacobite supported and heroine who came from the Outer Hebrides and helped Prince Charles escape after the disastrous battle of Culloden. For this she was imprisoned in the Tower of London but released in 1747 under the act of indemnity. She later married and lived in North Carolina until her return to Scotland in 1779.
12.    David Hume 1711-1776, by Allan Ramsay. The great Scottish Philosopher, Thinker and Historian was painted twice by the very famous Scottish portrait painter Allan Ramsay. Once in Edinburgh and secondly, this one, painted in 1766 when Hume returned after three years in France. Hume established an empirical system of philosophy in works such as Treatise on human Nature (1739-40).
13.    Robert Burns, 1759-1796, by Alexander Nasmyth. Born in Alloway on the east coast of Scotland, the son of a farmer who had the foresight to provide the young Burns with an excellent education. Burns tried to follow in the family tradition and turn his hand to farming but he was not very successful. He decided to concentrate on writing full time, initially it was to gain the means to emigrate to Jamaica but after his first big success he decided to remain in Scotland. He began to socialize with the Edinburgh ‘in crowd’ which is where he came across Nasmyth who painted this now iconic image.
14.    Neil Gow, 1727-1807, Sir Henry Raeburn. This man was the son of a working class plaid weaver from Perthshire. He was a self taught fiddler and rose to fame with his original compositions and arrangements. He was invited to perform by the aristocracy of the time; he was often depicted in ‘every day life’ paintings by the most famous artists of the time and quickly became a household name all over Scotland. He made a major contributions to Scottish folk music  and was one of the first people who was able to move between different social classes. He is an excellent example of enlightenment thinking and the ability to move between social classes.
15.    Sir Walter Scott, 1771-1832, by Sir Henry Raeburn. Here is a man brought up in Edinburgh who due to ill health travelled to relatives in the country. He developed a love of traditional ballads and folk tales which influenced his later writings. He explored the period of Scottish History centered on the Jacobite uprisings and the Stewart dynasties. His first success was in poetry and ballads and when he rose to fame writing novels Jane Austin is quoted as saying ‘’Walter Scott has no business writing novels, especially good ones – it is not fair. He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of other peoples mouths’’. Painted here by one of the best, Henry Raeburn in about 1822.
16.    Patrick Grant 1713-1824, by Colvin Smith in 1822. This man was remarkable, reputed to be one of the oldest living men in history.  He had fought as a young man with the Jacobites against the Hanoverian army and years later, in (1822), aged 109!!, he  was introduced to King George 1V, (a Hanoverian King), as ‘’His Majesty’s oldest enemy’’. The kings response was to award Patrick and his daughter a state pension as an act of reconciliation.
17.    Thomas Stevenson, 1818-1887, by Sir George Reid. This man was the youngest son of Robert Stevenson the famous light house engineer. He and his two brothers were all partners in the family business and were all successively employed by the northern light house Board. His personal greatest claim to fame was to design the revolving light house light which earned him international recognition. He was also the father of Robert Louis Stevenson famous Scottish author.
18.    Robert Louis Stevenson 1850-1894, by Count Girolamo Nerli. He originally tried to follow the family tradition of becoming an engineer but, he found he had no aptitude for it. Instead he studied and qualified in Law. By the time he had actually passed his law exams he was already writing. He has many, many famous novels, possibly the most famous is treasure island. The artist was a personal friend of Stevenson and found painting this portrait very difficult. He described himself as a ‘victim’ while trying to finish the portrait due to Stevensons extreme agitation and restlessness. Stevenson himself was pleased with the result.
19.    Sir James Mathew Barrie 1860-1937, by Sir William Nicholson. Another Scottish author, born and brought up about 20 miles from here in a small whitewashed cottage, now a museum. This mans most famous novel is of course peter Pan, the all time children's classic.

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour through one of the best galleries Scotland has to offer.

   


dianahopeless wrote on May 4, '09
What a grand tour! Most of the portraits were amazing. And I love that you included something about each of them. I can see why it took you a little while to put this post together. Simply wonderful post!

brendainmad wrote on May 4, '09
You've provided us with an excellent introduction to this wonderful museum and without a camera of your own! I thoroughly enjoyed this virtual tour. It's one thing to see and admire the paintings, but you've explained their importance very well.

starfishred wrote on May 3, '09
Loretta you out did yourself my friend-I always liked Queen Anne the best-

starfishred wrote on May 3, '09
Loretta you out did yourself my friend-I always liked Queen Anne the best-

msowens1 wrote on May 3, '09
Loretta, this was an excellent read and tour.... I don't know if I will ever get there, but I appreciate your presentation....

veryfrank wrote on May 3, '09
Thank you Loretta, an excellent tour and presentation. I especially like the portraits of Sir Walter Scott and David Hume, there is so much realism in the faces. As I have said before, I have been to the National Portrait Gallery. I was just so impressed by the murals, I kept going back to them instead of concentrating on the portraits.

I get a bit confused with the history around the time of Queen Anne. There are many places here, especially in Virginia named for "Queen Anne" or "Princess Anne." I have not been sure if they are named for the same person. I am aware of Queen Anne and a popular style of furniture, cherry wood, named for her. This was helpful. So many named Anne and Elizabeth!!

Thank you.

asolotraveler wrote on May 3, '09
so.... did you note MY song saturday scottish group post??????

acousticeagle wrote on May 3, '09
Oh and I wanted to add that the Bonnie Prince was very 'pretty' wasn't he? :)

acousticeagle wrote on May 3, '09
You've gone to a lot of trouble to do this blog, Loretta. The painting I liked the most was the last one of Barrie. I think his diminutive presence in the canvas may give to a great artistic impression of the sitter.

What an intriguing comment by Jane Austen about Scott. In childhood I read 'Ivanhoe' and I remember that I was inspired by it. I always thought that I would read that novel again some day.

About those women in power. Interesting about how beauty is perceived throughout ages. They made their faces very white, almost mask like, with hair covered or carefully styled. It makes you wonder how many hours it took to dress and have one's hair done in that day.

I like viewing portraits. Each year there is a big Australian competition 'The Archibald Prize' I used to like to go into Melbourne to see it, but if I want to now I have to take a plane! The Archibald is portraits of people who are still living. It's very amazing to see how artists will portray their sitters.

bennett1 wrote on May 3, '09
Thank you for the tour. Where to begin commenting? I have to say I love the portrait of Sir Walter Scott very much. It seems to capture his character. You've also given us a bit of a history lesson along the way. I can understand why Mary of Guise is one of your favorites; she was able to adapt and I am glad that after leaving the French court she was able to find one that was as rich. Her daughter did not fare so well at the end; a couple of the people pictured here were beheaded.

The other stunning picture is the children Elizabeth and Anne. It is so expressive and an excellent capture of these doomed children. One final comment: I want the dress that Queen Anne is wearing - oh! I want it so badly.

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