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Peter Graham
Wandering Shadows1878On Display | NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND
Graham's observations of fleeting effects in nature provided the basis for his painting. He captured the transient character of clouds as they float around the mountain tops and descend into the valleys, and recorded their wandering shadows across the slopes. The sense of movement and constant change is echoed in the mountain stream flowing down to the gushing river. One knows too that the presence of the fisherman and sheep, which emphasises the vastness of the rocky terrain, is also temporary. On moving to London, Graham produced series of grand paintings like this, particularly appealing to an urban-based audience.
Details
- Accession no. NG 1986
- Medium Oil on canvas
- Size 134.62 x 182.88 cm (framed: 170.00 x 222.00 cm)
- Credit Purchased with the aid of the Cowan Smith Bequest Fund 1944
Peter Graham (Scottish, 1836 - 1921)
Graham's large paintings celebrate the romantic character of the Scottish Highlands. He trained at the Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder and at first worked on figure subjects. From 1859 he began to concentrate on landscape painting after an inspiring holiday in Deeside. Graham chose to paint on a scale which emphasised the awe inspiring magnificence of the scenery. His response to the landscape was also influenced by the paintings of Horatio McCulloch and the poetry of Sir Walter Scott. He enjoyed great success at the Royal Scottish Academy and from 1866, at the Royal Academy, London.
Glossary Open
Royal Academy
An independent institution founded in 1768 with Sir Joshua Reynolds as its first president. It is governed by the Royal Academicians - leading painters, sculptors, printmakers and architects, which number no more than 80 at one time. It organises exhibitions at its London galleries, including an annual Summer Exhibition.
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) was formed in Edinburgh in 1826 by Scottish artists who felt alienated by what they perceived as the elitism of the Royal Institution and its management of contemporary art exhibitions. In 1835, the RSA secured exhibition rights in the Royal Institution building, which had been erected on The Mound by the Board of Manufactures in 1826. The RSA and the Board frequently argued over responsibilities for advanced art education. From 1859, the RSA shared the premises of the new National Gallery of Scotland under the Board’s custody. In 1910, after transferring most of its art collections to the Gallery, the RSA gained exclusive tenancy of the former Royal Institution building, where it continues to hold large-scale annual exhibitions.
Trustees' Academy
The Trustees’ Academy was founded in Edinburgh in 1760 by the Board of Trustees for the Improvement of Fisheries and Manufactures in Scotland. This was the earliest publicly funded art school in Britain, but during the early years it was essentially an elementary drawing school dedicated to applied design. The students included practical craftsmen as well as fine artists. The school gradually developed more facilities for advanced fine art education, including a plaster cast collection. In 1826, it relocated to a new building on The Mound, which was erected by the Board. The Trustees’ Academy was reformed in 1858, using the well established government Schools of Design in London as its model, and was the direct ancestor of Edinburgh College of Art, established in 1907.