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James Drummond

The Porteous Mob 1855

On Display Scottish National Gallery

Scottish Art

The Grassmarket in Edinburgh provides a splendid backdrop for Drummond's theatrical portrayal of events described in Sir Walter Scott's novel, the 'Heart of Midlothian'. Drummond concentrated on one dramatic moment: the lynching of Captain Porteous of the Edinburgh City Guard in 1736. Porteous, however, depicted in red and spreadeagled on the shoulders of his executioners in the middle distance, is of secondary importance in the composition. Precedence is given to a variety of incidents and colourful characters in the foreground. The Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland bought the painting in 1856.

Glossary Open

Composition, Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Ar

Details

Acc. No. NG 180
Medium Oil on canvas
Size 111.80 x 152.50 cm (framed: 142.80 x 182.70 x 8.40 cm)
Credit Purchased by RAPFAS 1856; transferred 1897

James Drummond (Scottish, 1816 - 1877)

Drummond was an accomplished artist and antiquarian, who specialised in Scottish history paintings. He studied at the Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh and made many fine drawings, reflecting his interests in arms, armour and architecture. He supported the preservation of Edinburgh's historic buildings, which often feature in his paintings. Drummond researched his subjects thoroughly and planned his compositions along strict academic lines. Detailed drawings of individual figures, figure groups and compositional sketches, in pencil and watercolour, preceded his final painting. Drummond was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1852 and became curator of the National Gallery of Scotland in 1868.

Glossary Open

Antiquarian

Relating to the study or collection of antiques, particularly from the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome. It is also used for a person engaged in this work.

History painting

Paintings in which the subject is taken from biblical, classical or other mythological histories.

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.