Portrait of the Month at the National Galleries of Scotland

2010/03 - (Lady) Naomi Mitchison, 1897 - 1999. Author

National Galleries of Scotland

(Lady) Naomi Mitchison, 1897 - 1999. Author, Percy Wyndham Lewis, Lady Naomi Mitchison - 1938. This portrait of the writer, socialist and feminist, Naomi Mitchison, is compelling and enigmatic in equal measure. Despite their political differences (Lewis held extreme Rightwing views), artist and sitter were close friends. Their unlikely friendship, which began in the early 1930s, was lasting and evidently deep. This portrait commemorates their relationship. It is Mitchison the author whom Lewis presents here. Mitchison was writing The Blood of the Martyrs, a historical novel set in Rome at the time of the persecution of the early Christians. The work had contemporary relevance as it drew forceful parallels with Nazi Germany and that regime’s victimizations. The painting, like Mitchison’s novel, is also a kind of allegory. Lewis made a drawing of her at the time which he entitled The Tragic Muse – a title that would be apt for the painting. The inclusion of a depiction of the crucifixion may be a reference to the moral tone of Mitchison’s book. Paused in her work, the weight of melancholy in action is upon her. As the portrait dates from 1938, there may be an additional reference to the civil war in Catholic Spain. As Paul O’Keeffe, author of Wyndham Lewis: Some Sort of Genius and interviewer of Mitchison towards the end of her life has written, ‘The pensive frown on her face in the picture was, she claimed, a reflection of the brooding anxiety of the times.’ Mitchison said of this portrait by Lewis: ‘It is not, and never was, a photographic likeness, but I would hope to be remembered by it because, I think, he got at something below the surface, as a really great portrait painter always should do.’© Wyndham Lewis and the estate of the late Mrs G A Wyndham Lewis by kind permission of the Wyndham Lewis Memorial trust (a registered charity)

2010/02 - Norman MacCaig, 1910 - 1996. Poet

National Galleries of Scotland

Norman MacCaig, 1910 - 1996. Poet, Norman MacCaig, Alex Main - about 1996. This portrait of Norman MacCaig (1910 – 1996) by Alex Main, achieves what I believe to be the aim of portraiture: he captures the essence of MacCaig’s character and personality. Main has not made the portrait true to life, but has given us a deeper sense of who MacCaig was by ensuring the sculpture reflects him as a person. MacCaig was one of the foremost Scottish poets of the twentieth century, a contemporary of Hugh McDiarmid and Sorley MacLean. The subject matter of his poems, although they were written in English not Scots, was predominantly rooted in Scotland. Although MacCaig’s poetry has a strong Scottish flavour, its themes are universal. His poems work much like a portrait; they provide us with the character of a place, an emotion, an experience. Through focussing on the particular, he provides us with a lens to the universal.MacCaig’s poems touch lightly upon their subjects, often humorously, with each word a careful layer in the final picture. It is this characteristic in particular which I feel Alex Main has captured in his portrait. The sculpture of MacCaig gives us his outline and his recognisable features which captures the essence of the man and poet with the same lightness and humour MacCaig used in his poetry. In doing so, Main allows us a window by which to see his wider character. In a sense, this parallels the Portrait of a Nation project which aims to capture the spirit of Scotland, its history and its people, and thereby encourage a deeper insight into our own country.© Alex Main

2010/01 - Sarah Biffin, Mrs E.M. Wright, 1784 - 1850. Artist (Self-portrait)

National Galleries of Scotland

Sarah Biffin, Mrs E.M. Wright, 1784 - 1850. Artist (Self-portrait), Sarah Biffin, Mrs E.M. Wright, Sarah Biffin, Mrs E.M. Wright - 1830. This self-portrait miniature is by Sarah Biffen (1784-1850). Sarah, who was born with the condition phocomelia, had no arms or legs, yet she taught herself to paint by holding a brush in her mouth. She eventually became a highly successful artist, having paintings accepted for exhibition at the Royal Academy, and she was referenced in literary works by Thackeray and Dickens. At the age of twelve Sarah’s family were paid to apprentice her to Emmanuel Dukes, a showman who displayed her in fairs and circuses as ‘The Eighth Wonder’. Crowds would pay to watch Sarah paint, write and sew using her mouth, and in 1808 she was spotted by the Earl of Morton who recognised her artistic talent and paid for her to receive painting lessons from William Craig, a Royal Academician who was painter in watercolours to Queen Charlotte and drawing master to Princess Charlotte of Wales. Aged around 29 Sarah left Emmanuel Dukes to become a professional miniaturist, setting up a studio in London. She became immensely popular, painting for three monarchs (George IV, William IV and Queen Victoria) and being awarded a silver medal by the Society of Arts in 1821. In 1824 Sarah married William Stephen Wright, and although the marriage was short-lived she painted and exhibited under her married name. In 1824 she moved to Liverpool, where her paintings eventually went out of fashion. Although she received a small pension form Queen Victoria, her friends and supporters created a subscription for a more generous annuity for her to live off. Sarah died in Liverpool in 1850, aged 66. This remarkable self-portrait reveals something of Sarah’s dignity and strong character, as well as showing the determination and skill of a woman who rose from being a side-show exhibit to a celebrated royal portrait painter.

2009/12 - Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, 1637 - 1671. First wife of James VII and II

National Galleries of Scotland

Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, 1637 - 1671. First wife of James VII and II, Sir Peter Lely, Anne Hyde, Duchess of York - about 1661. Peter Lely’s exquisite depiction of Anne Hyde, commissioned by her father, the Earl of Clarendon, exemplifies how an important patron could use portraiture not just to record a likeness, but to present a sitter in a way in which they wanted to be seen. Anne secretly married the Duke of York (the future James VII and II) in 1660, when she was seven months pregnant. The marriage, once it was made public, was highly unpopular as Anne wasn’t thought to be of a high enough social rank to marry into the Stewart family, and also because her father, who was Charles II’s chancellor, was hated by many influential courtiers. It was vital for Anne to be shown as a worthy addition to the royal family, and having such a grand portrait painted was one method of presenting her in a favourable light. Peter Lely, Charles II’s Principal Painter and the most fashionable artist at the Restoration court, was chosen to paint Anne, who would eventually become one of his greatest patrons. The composition deliberately shows Anne as a virtuous, and therefore suitable, bride, by showing her cooling her hand in a fountain, an action that would have been understood by anyone looking at the portrait as a reference to Proverbs 5:18, “Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thy youth”. It was displayed, along with its pair of the duke, in Clarendon’s famous portrait gallery where it would have been seen by a large number of people, and so this message would have reached a large audience. This portrait will be included in one of the inaugural exhibitions, Church and State, when the Portrait Gallery reopens in 2011. The portrait has been chosen for Portrait of the Month to coincide with the display Sir Peter Lely: Artist and Collector currently on show at the National Gallery, which includes several works on paper from the Portrait Gallery collection.

2009/11 - Professor John Brown (Astronomer), b. 1947

National Galleries of Scotland

Professor John Brown (Astronomer), b. 1947, Lucinda Douglas-Menzies - 29 April 2008. Professor John Brown (born 1947) is Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Glasgow and the 10th Astronomer Royal for Scotland. His enthusiasm for astronomy began as a child when he was inspired by the books of Patrick Moore and by the encouragement of family and friends. His research and teaching interests include solar and stellar plasmas and the exploration of planetary systems, and he promotes interest in science through his work in astronomy outreach programmes. Brown's thoughtful portrait by Lucinda Douglas-Menzies is one of a set of photographs, ‘Portraits of Astronomers', taken by the artist to mark 2009 as the International Year of the Astronomer, which commemorates four hundred years since Galileo first looked at the sky through a telescope. Douglas-Menzies began her career as a photographer's assistant and later as an auction house catalogue photographer, before setting up her own studio in 1986. Her approach to capturing her sitters' likenesses results in insightful portrayals, often linking the subject with his or her surroundings. Here, Brown is photographed in the University of Glasgow's Department of Physics and Astronomy - in the background of the portrait is an image of a lunar landscape and distant view of earth, which adds a slightly surreal element to the otherwise pensive mood of the portrait. The constellations of the zodiac can be seen in ceiling of the Portrait Gallery's Great Hall and have fascinated and inspired generations of visitors. As part of the Portrait of the Nation campaign, you are invited to place your name, or that of a loved one, in the Gallery of Stars for another generation. With your donation you can choose a star in a panel or constellation. You will receive a limited edition certificate showing the position of your star and your name will be recorded in the Portrait Gallery when it re-opens in 2011. Find information about the campaign at www.nationalgalleries.org/stars.© Lucinda Douglas-Menzies

2009/10 - The Campbell of Glenorchy Family Tree

National Galleries of Scotland

The Campbell of Glenorchy Family Tree, George Jamesone - 1635. Kinship has always been important to Scots. This year in particular, the Year of Homecoming, has seen thousands return to their ancestral land from across the world, underlining the enduring strength of family and clan ties. One of the most spectacular illustrations of the importance of kinship is George Jamesone’s painting of the family tree of Sir Colin Campbell, 8th Laird of Glenorchy (the twelve mile long valley between Bridge of Orchy and Dalmally, in Argyll). Sir Colin commissioned many portraits from the Aberdeen-born artist George Jamesone, the first major figure in the history of Scottish painting. His family tree is dated 1635, and commemorates one of the most successful and powerful families in early modern Scotland. It shows the descendants of Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochawe (died 1453), who is presented lying on the ground at the foot of the tree. Sir Duncan Campbell, married to a granddaughter of King Robert II, was seen as the patriarch of the Campbells of Glenorchy. The seven portraits on the trunk are the first seven lairds of Glenorchy each with his name and the number of years he was laird. The eighth roundel contains the portrait of Sir Colin.The painting was made after two centuries of territorial expansion of the Glenorchy Campbells, a cadet branch of the clan Campbell, who, since Sir Duncan’s time, had extended their influence and control over a large part of the Southern Highlands. Their success was due in good part to their extensive family network which this painting celebrates.Jamesone’s The Campbell of Glenorchy Family Tree is currently on show in the exhibition Homecoming, at the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock until 12 December 2009.James Holloway is one of the regular contributors to HEADS UP our Portrait of the Nation blog which gets behind the scenes of our big transformation.

2009/09 - Three Oncologists (Professor RJ Steele, Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri and Professor Sir David P Lane of the Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

National Galleries of Scotland

Three Oncologists (Professor RJ Steele, Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri and Professor Sir David P Lane of the Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee., Ken Currie, Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri, Professor Sir David P Lane, Professor R.J. Steele - 2002. At first sight three ghoul-like figures, like nightmarish phantoms, radiate a sinister glow. Or are they the witches of Macbeth gathered around the gaping cauldron? They scowl back at us with exaggerated curiosity. ‘Don't come any further', they seem to say, masks strung loosely around their necks. Notice their surgical gowns and caps and how they hold out their bloodied latex gloves. All three are hunched over with weariness; sleepless days and nights revealed in five o'clock shadows and melancholy, bloodshot eyes. Look again and see how good has been rendered evil ("Fair is foul and foul is fair" Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 1), for what is actually seen here are three courageous, pioneering cancer specialists who emanate light and hope in this gloomy composition. Perhaps it is our own fear seen reflected in their knowing faces that we first recognise. They pass through the black curtains unafraid, while we can only stand and stare, hoping for the safe return of those we love. Behind the curtain lies any one of us. What drives them then, again and again to enter the void? The Scottish artist Ken Currie was commissioned by National Galleries of Scotland to paint this remarkable triple portrait. It will feature in an exhibition of pioneering Scottish scientists when the Portrait Gallery re-opens in 2011. As well as marking the extraordinary contributions scientists make to improve all our lives, the portraits also reveal the role artists play in presenting the breakthroughs and discoveries of such eminent scientists to a wider audience. To find out how Ken Currie created this unusual painting, watch the accompanying film.© Ken Currie

2009/08 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 1720 - 1788. Eldest son of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart ('Wanted Poster')

National Galleries of Scotland

Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 1720 - 1788. Eldest son of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart ('Wanted Poster'), Richard Cooper, the Elder, Prince Charles Edward Stewart - 1745. ‘A likeness notwithstanding the Disguise…..’ Richard CooperThis curious print from 1745, although small and intended to be ephemeral, is historically fascinating and highly attractive. It will go on show, alongside many better-known and bigger works, in one of our opening exhibitions for 2011: Imaging Power: the Visual Culture of the Jacobite Cause. The print (which does not explicitly name its subject, referring to him dismissively as ‘the Son of the Pretender’) advertises the massive reward of £30,000 offered by the British government in early August 1745 for the capture of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, who had landed in Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides in late July. Its satirical thrust derives largely from the prince’s balletic pose and elaborate Highland costume or ‘Disguise’. This is the first image to depict the prince clad in tartan. Prior to the momentous events of the ’45 Rising, the prince had only worn Highland dress to parties in Rome, but, once in Scotland, he swiftly realised its symbolic power, capable of instilling a sense of tribal loyalty and romantic attachment to an Italian-born Stuart, who now declared: ‘I am come home’. Equally, as here, it could be used by those opposed to the Jacobite cause to suggest that the Young Pretender should not be taken too seriously (notwithstanding a price on his head equivalent to around £2,500,000 today!). Richard Cooper, who designed and made this work, was born in London but spent his entire career in Edinburgh. It probably dates from before he had actually seen Charles, who made his triumphant entrance to the city, dressed in a tartan short coat, bonnet and cockade, 17 September 1745. We should not necessarily read the image as evidence of personal political hostility. Many artists were highly pragmatic in their acceptance of commissions and some of Cooper’s closest associates were active Jacobites, not least his own apprentice, Robert Strange, who was ‘out’ in the ’45.

2009/07 - The Golfers

National Galleries of Scotland

The Golfers, Charles Lees - 1847. This iconic image portrays a foursome golf match (where teams of two golfers take alternate shots with the same ball) and is set on the world-famous Old Course at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews. The painting is over one hundred and fifty years old, yet the busy, panoramic scene of people reacting in various ways to the match being played in their midst, will seem familiar to fans of the modern-day game. Similar crowds will be following contemporary golfers such as Colin Montgomerie or defending champion, Padraig Harrington at this month’s Open Championship at Turnberry. The modern game of golf evolved in Scotland, where it remains a hugely popular sport. Lees’ painting will be a key image in ‘Sport in Nineteenth-Century Scotland’, one of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery’s opening displays when it reopens in 2011, which will consider sports such as golf in a wider historical context. Charles Lees studied painting in Edinburgh, where he was taught by Henry Raeburn, and became a Royal Scottish Academician while he was still in his twenties. Although he was predominantly a portrait painter, Lees is now best-known as a painter of sporting scenes and ‘The Golfers’, painted in 1847, is acknowledged as his masterpiece. Lees may have used an early photograph of golfers at St Andrews by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, taken around 1845, to help compose the dramatic postures of the central characters.

2009/06 - Muriel Gray, b. 1959. Broadcaster

National Galleries of Scotland

Muriel Gray, b. 1959. Broadcaster, Iain Clark, Muriel Gray - 2005. This portrait of Muriel Gray by Iain Clark is revealing in its composition and unusual in its execution. As a prominent contemporary Scottish figure, many of us are no doubt familiar with Gray and her work and we inevitably think of our own associations with her as we view this portrait. With this is mind, Clark instead offers a glimpse at the ‘real’ Muriel Gray in comparison to the animated and vivacious public personality she projects. She appears solitary and serene, reflecting her admitted shyness and discontent with her appearance – what we portray is not always who we are. Clark’s method of working is unusual and perhaps controversial - sitting somewhere between painting and photography. This concept of moving away from ‘traditional’ modes of representation is something the Portrait Gallery aims to nurture - engaging young Scottish artists, encouraging them to produce innovative work in a variety of new media, which develops a wider notion of portraiture for the twenty-first century. Alongside a dedicated gallery, contemporary portraiture will become an integrated force throughout the gallery, encouraging viewers to discover how personal, social and national identities have shifted over time. Watch Muriel Gray and Iain Clark discuss her portrait and the complex relationship between artist and sitter in the attached video.© Iain Clark

2009/05 - James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, 1702 - 1768, and his family

National Galleries of Scotland

James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, 1702 - 1768, and his family, Jeremiah Davison, Lady Frances Douglas, Lord James Douglas, Lady Mary Douglas, Lord George Douglas, Agatha Halyburton, Countess of Morton, James Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton, Sholto Charles Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton - 1740. This painting embodies five key themes which will be central to how portraits are seen in the re-opened Scottish National Portrait Gallery: Power, History, Identity, Representation and Memory. Morton, his wife Agatha Halyburton, and their five children, appear like a snapshot of a family contentedly going about their everyday life, but in reality the highly-contrived composition, including the fashionable clothes and the opulent setting, shows us an idealised representation of a family. The earl leans on a large book, signifying his intellectual interests and reminding us of his role in Scottish history, and he wears the sash and star of the Order of the Thistle, indicating his power and status. The countess, shown at the centre of the family, holds a baby. The children are identified in relation to their imagined future lives; the sons play with bows and arrows and the daughters hold dolls and baskets of flowers. Two of the children died before they reached adulthood and so the portrait serves to recall the memory of the family in happier times. Jeremiah Davison painted this grand yet intimate portrait of James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, and his family, in 1740. The portrait was commissioned by the Earl, who was President of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, one of many such institutions created during the Scottish Enlightenment, and later President of the Royal Society in London.