National Galleries of Scotland

This building was described by Ruskin as: 'a noble house in which the spandrels of the windows are filled by the emblems of the four Evangelists, sculptures in deep relief, and touching the edges of the arches with their expanded wings'. The contrast between the animal symbols of the Christian Apostles with their spread wings, flying free, and the double bird cage trapping a living bird, hung out of the door, brings a certain sadness to this image. The photographer achieves a compositional balance with the three empty plant pots, precariously placed on a board on the railing.