Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Robert Scott Lauder




I love this painting. It was painted by Robert Scott Lauder (1803 - 1861). Lauder is probably better known for the influence he had on a generation of Scottish painters in his role as Master of the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh between 1852 and 1861. Yet some of his painting was quite stunning.


The painting is titled 'John Gibson Lockhart and his Wife Charlotte Sophia Scott'. Charlotte was the daughter of Sir Walter Scott. I think what is remarkable and what lends such pathos to the painting is that it was painted c.1840. Whilst Gibson is painted from life, Charlotte is painted posthumously as she died in 1837.


For those of you who are in the vicinity, you can see this in the flesh at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Well worth the visit for this alone.

And speaking of Sir Walter Scott, wasn't it he who wrote:


'Oh What a tangled web we weave,

When first we practice to deceive.'

Bit of a contemporary statement that eh?


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9 comments:

  1. A Scattering19 May 2009 at 19:50

    What a lovely choice. So beautiful and poignant.

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  2. ms toast burner19 May 2009 at 20:04

    That's a beautiful painting. She looks so sad, in that beautiful sort of way.

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  3. Wolynski20 May 2009 at 03:58

    Gorgeous painting. And now we have snapshots instead.

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  4. Arija20 May 2009 at 04:05

    With your explanation of the posthumous painting of Charlotte it clears up the mystery for me why the light shines on her serene countenance while he stand deeply saddened in shadow.
    Thank you for this lovely post.

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  5. Martha Z20 May 2009 at 05:09

    A lovely painting. I guess that was common at the time. I have a painting of two baby sisters of my great-grandmother. The two babes did not live at the same time and they were painted together posthumously.

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  6. Unknown20 May 2009 at 14:39

    The colours in that painting are glorious...

    It's a beautiful painting ... Charlotte is seen in the light while John is in the shadows. Reading your description of the painting, I think it was probably painted that way as a beautiful tribute to a wife from her husband..

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  7. aspiritofsimplicity21 May 2009 at 10:21

    What a beautiful painting.

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  8. naldo21 May 2009 at 12:53

    Hey Neil, unfortunately the portrait gallery's closed for renovations til November 2011. We'll have trams before portraits.

    Reckon there'll be some small scale exhibitions in the space during the work but no details as yet.

    In the meantime, there are still some great galleries to visit in Embra.

    http://www.nationalgalleries.org/

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  9. Linda23 May 2009 at 08:33

    I was just about to update on the closure but I see naldo as a good Embra person has done that. Trams or portraits, which do we prefer?

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