Henry Raeburn: Context, Reception and Reputation - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0748654836 ISBN 13: 9780748654833

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2012

Synopsis

An edited volume devoted to the reception and reputation of Edinburgh’s premier Enlightenment portrait painter.
Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823) is especially well known in Scotland as the portrait painter of members of the Scottish Enlightenment. However, outside Scotland, the artist rarely makes more than a fleeting appearance in survey books about portraiture. A review of the most recent exhibition devoted to the artist held in Edinburgh and London during 1997/8, noted that it wears the aspect of a closure rather than a new dawn’ in Raeburn studies, with the painter being shown ‘in solitary splendour’.
This volume seeks to recover Raeburn from his artistic isolation by looking at his local and international reception and reputation, both in his lifetime and posthumously. It focuses as much on Edinburgh and Scotland as on metropolitan markets and cosmopolitan contexts. Previously unpublished archival material will be brought to light for the first time, especially from the Innes of Stow papers and the archives of the dukes of Hamilton.
Key Features
* 14 chapters each looking at different aspects of Raeburn's professional career
* International scholars contributing to Raeburn studies for the first time
* Interdisciplinary perspectives setting a new agenda for Raeburn studies
* Traditional art analysis integrated with cultural, social, political and economic history
* Includes much unpublished archival material
KeywordsScotland, Raeburn, Enlightenment, portraiture, art, patronage, taste, collecting

About this title

About the Authors

Dr Viccy Coltman is a Senior Lecturer and Head of History of Art at the University of Edinburgh, where she specialises in visual and material culture in the long eighteenth century. The author of two books and one edited book, she is currently working on a study of Scots in metropolitan, cosmopolitan and imperial contexts from 1745 to 1832.

Dr Stephen Lloyd is Curator of the Derby Collection at Knowsley Hall on Merseyside. He was Senior Curator at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh (1993-2009) and President of ICOM's International Committee for Museums and Collections of Fine Arts (2004-2010). He has authored many exhibition catalogues for the National Galleries of Scotland, is co-author of Henry Raeburn and his Printmakers (2006) and The Intimate Portrait: Portrait Drawings, Miniatures and Pastels fromRamsay to Lawrence (2008-9).

From the Back Cover

QUOTE FOR FRONT‘Consistently thought-provoking, original and revealing’Professor Mark Hallett, Director, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British ArtBACK COVER‘Fresh and engaging . . . a key strength of the book is that it ranges across a number of disciplinary approaches and beyond the normal conventions of history of art into political, economic, cultural and social history.’T. M. Devine, Personal Senior Professor in History, University of Edinburgh ‘A very welcome reassessment of the artist’s work and career. This skilfully edited book promises to transform the ways in which we think about Raeburn’s paintings and about the worlds of portraiture in which he and his canvases played such a fascinating part.’Mark Hallett, Director, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British ArtThe reception and reputation of Edinburgh’s premier portrait painterSir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823) is especially well known in Scotland as the portrait painter of members of the Scottish Enlightenment. However, outside Scotland, the artist rarely makes more than a fleeting appearance in portraiture studies. A review of the most recent (1997–8) exhibition in Edinburgh and London devoted to the artist noted that it wears the ‘aspect of a closure rather than a new dawn’ in Raeburn studies, with the painter being shown ‘in solitary splendour’.This collection seeks to recover Raeburn from his artistic isolation by looking at his local and international reception and reputation, both in his lifetime and posthumously. It focuses as much on Edinburgh and Scotland as on metropolitan markets and cosmopolitan contexts. Previously unpublished archival material is brought to light for the first time, including correspondence from the Innes of Stow papers and the family archive of the Duke of Hamilton.Viccy Coltman is Senior Lecturer and Head of History of Art in Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of Fabricating the Antique: Neoclassicism in Britain, 1760–1800 (2006) and Classical Sculpture and the Culture of Collecting in Britain since 1760 (2009) and editor of Making Sense of Greek Art (2012).Stephen Lloyd is Curator of the Derby Collection at Knowsley Hall on Merseyside. He is former Senior Curator of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (1993–2009) and President of ICOM’s international committee for museums and collections of fine art (2005–10). He is the author of Richard and Maria Cosway: Regency Artists of Taste and Fashion (1995) and Raeburn's Rival: Archibald Skirving 1749–1819 (1999) and co-author with Kim Sloan of The Intimate Portrait: Drawings, Miniatures and Pastels from Ramsay to Lawrence (2008).Cover image: Henry Raeburn, General Francis Dundas and Eliza Cumming, Mrs Francis Dundas, c.1812–15, courtesy of the Dundas-Bekker family, Arniston House.Cover design:[EUP logo]www.euppublishing.com

Edition details

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0748654836
• ISBN 13: 9780748654833
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352
• Editor: Coltman Viccy, Lloyd Stephen