Veronica Winters Painting

About Sir Walter Scott

Situated about an hour away from Edinburgh, Abbotsford house is the home of Sir Walter Scott, famous 19th-century Scottish poet, novelist, politician, judge and historian. The son of a city lawyer, he was born in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 1771. Scott spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ farm in the Scottish Borders where he acquired interests on old Scottish poetry, fairy-tales, history and ancient customs of the land. Scott grew up in a wealthy and loving family but it didn’t protect him from insanitary conditions in Edinburgh (just like elsewhere in Europe in that period). The boy had poor health and remained lame in his leg after his illness with polio. Most of his siblings died in infancy.

Is it worth the visit?

Yes, if you know that you can tour just the first floor of the entire castle! Although it was fun and educational, I wish I could walk around the castle and see more rooms, not just the first floor. At the entrance, you’ll receive a tour guide to learn more about history of this place and life of Sir Walter Scott. There is a luxury hotel inside the castle and it explains why tourists are limited to tour the first floor only. The garden grounds are open for visitors and they are beautiful! There are walking paths in the woodlands around Abbotford as well. So you may want to have an overnight stay at a luxury hotel and do some hiking/walking during summer to relax and enjoy the English countryside.

Writing

Sir Walter Scott was a successful and popular novelist of the 19th-century Romanticism period, in which he combined history, politics and fiction. His books and poems include:

• The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)
• Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders (1802)
• Marmion (1808)
• Lady of the Lake (1810)
• Waverley (1814)
• Along with Guy Mannering (1815)
• The Antiquary (1816)
• The Tale of Old Mortality (1816)
• The Bride of Lammermoor (1819)
• The Heart of Midlothian (1818)
• Ivanhoe (1820).

Library

Sir Walter Scott amassed amazing collection of books. Nothing has been moved or claimed lost and it’s really neat to see these rare books carefully arranged in categories according to subject. Dark brown cupboards display these beautiful books without glass under metal lace covers, and the rooms containing the library are very dark and mysterious. The library displays Scott’s wide interests and reading habit to inspire his own writing.

Location:

The 120 acre estate, Abbotsford has walking paths around it in woodlands, which could be a pleasant hike in nice weather. The visitor center has the map with routes and storage facilities.

Official website: https://www.scottsabbotsford.com/

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In this article I’d like to introduce you to a lesser known art gallery in the art world that offers some beautiful paintings including Scottish art. Its central location makes it a pleasant stroll from Edinburgh Old Town to the museum gallery in a nice weather. The National gallery is free, although it may charge you for some special exhibitions.

# 1 A mix of big names and beautiful paintings

John Singer Sargent

Although some famous artists like Sargent, Raphael, Hals, Gainsborough & Botticelli occupy the walls, it’s nice to see lesser known painters presented in the art museum as well. In a way, they run the show with art pieces of greater impact. The gallery opens with Sargent’s Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, and Hugo van der Goes’ Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland altarpiece, 1478. The art museum pleasantly surprises with some 19-th century epic paintings of colossal size produced in prints for the popular market at that time period.

Thomas Gainsborough

English portrait and landscape painter, Gainsborough had a successful career during his lifetime. Like Van Dyck, he painted royalty but also included imaginative English landscapes behind the figures. A rival of Reynolds, the artist was a founder member of the Royal Academy in 1768.

The Honourable Mrs Graham is an amazing full-length portrait that features painterly brushwork and sophisticated shades of grey. Dressed in a beautiful gown, young woman exhibits elegance and confidence. Daughter of Baron Cathcart, she married the Perthshire landowner Thomas Graham and after her death, Graham passed the painting to her sister. It was bequeathed to the National Gallery by one of their descendants on condition that it never leaves Scotland.

Sir Edwin Landseer

Painted in the 19th century Romanticism era, this artwork almost overwhelms viewers with its powerful representation of majestic animal. Depicting a single deer as a symbol of the vastness and majesty of Scotland, this piece is huge, colorful and breathtaking when viewed in person. The oil painting was reproduced in prints, and achieved even greater success in the twentieth century used in marketing campaigns.

#2 A great place for a family visit.

You won’t be overwhelmed by endless corridors, galleries, and installations. The art museum is quite intimate that makes it easy to devote some quality time to cultural education and to introduce children to art.

Sir Joshua Reynolds

English artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts and its first president. He painted portraits of royalty and nobility in classical tradition relying on strong compositions and referencing historical painting. Yet, his loose brushwork looks fresh and contemporary similar to Sargent.

In a large-scale painting we see three sisters, the daughters of the 2nd Earl Waldegrave, busy working on some needlework. Expertly painted, the composition draws us in with figures carefully arranged in a semicircle, reminiscent of the Three Graces from antiquity.

#3 Scottish artists

John Duncan

Duncan studied art in Scotland, England and Belgium to settle in Edinburgh in 1892. The artist represents the Celtic Revival movement in Scottish art and his illustrative style looks innovative even today. This colorful painting looks like it’s made of collaged pieces as religious symbols, and even the ornate frame mimic’s the artist’s unique style.

William Bell Scott 

Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, William and his brother were trained as artists at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh and worked for their father who was an engraver before becoming full-time artists.

#4 Central location

Museum’s central location makes it easy to get in and out. There is no standing in long lines (like going to the Castle).

Francois-Xavier Fabre

By looking at this painting of Fabre the influence of neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David is clear. This portrait is exceptionally painted with masterful sense of color, light, and unseen brushwork (characteristic of the neoclassical painters). Unknown young man’s intense gaze is captivating and his fashionable clothes and hair are beautifully arranged into a simple, yet elegant composition. A pupil of David, the artist won the French Academy’s Rome Prize in 1787 and spent most of his life in Italy. Fabre was a very popular portrait and historic painter who was also an art collector! His art collection consists of 16-17th century Italian paintings housed in the Musée Fabre, Montpellier.

# 5 Free of charge

Free. You can’t beat that. Plus when I visited the exhibitions in the fall of 2019 part of the gallery was under construction. It would open with new galleries of Scottish art soon. That’s exciting! Open daily, 10am-5pm. Thursdays until 7pm. Location: The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland. Check current hrs. and more here: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery

Paul Delaroche

Classically trained French artist Paul Delaroche painted scenes from French and English history. Delaroche served as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he trained many students including Couture and Gérôme. His two major, large-scale works include The Execution of Lady Jane Grey in the National Gallery in London and 27-meter long The Hemi-Cycle. This painting reminds of Raphael’s School of Athens, only here he depicts over seventy artists from various epochs caught in conversation.

This small portrait of his friend Eugène Buttura proves the artist’s great knowledge of anatomy and oil painting technique. Wrapped up in his thoughts, the man appears lifelike. Man’s face baths in intriguing, soft light, pulling us in to know more about this person.

Other notable paintings:

• Jan Steen, A School for Boys and Girls About 1670 (Dutch)
• Jan Lievens, Portrait of a Young Man About 1631 (Dutch), a contemporary and friend of Rembrandt
• Jan van Huysum, Flower Still Life with Bird’s Nest About 1718 (Netherlandish), excellent, famous still life painter of flowers.
• Joseph Farquharson, Winter Day at Finzean 1901 (Scottish), famous painter of textures of snow
• Sir Daniel Macnee, A Lady in Grey, 1859 (Scottish), leading Scottish portrait painter
• Paul Gauguin Vision of the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel), 1888 (French)
• Raphael, Mary and Child, around 1507

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