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.
