Christ Teacheth Humility
1847
- Scottish Art
The rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament after the devasting fire of 1834 prompted the state to encourage the production of large-scale narrative paintings through a series of public competitions. Lauder, who was based in London for a time, took two years to complete this work which he entered into the 1847 competition. The jury admired Lauder's effort, but his rich colours and luscious paintwork were not to their taste, and his submission was rejected. Two years, later the Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland purchased the painting to make it one of the very first works in the collection of the Scottish National Gallery.
