Wishart Preaching against Mariolatry
About this artwork
The Scottish religious Reformer, George Wishart (about 1513–1546) is preaching against over-zealous worship of the Virgin Mary, shortly before his arrest in 1546. Behind Wishart, on the far right of the picture, stands a young John Knox (1505–1572) who was inspired by Wishart and became a leading figure in the Scottish Reformation. Fettes Douglas wanted authentic historical details and may have drawn on 16th-century German paintings for the crowd’s clothes.
Published June 2023
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artist:Sir William Fettes Douglas (1822 - 1891) Scottish
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title:Wishart Preaching against Mariolatry
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date created:Exhibited 1871 (RSA)
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:78.10 x 175.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Presented by Dr John Kirkhope 1910
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accession number:NG 1020
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gallery:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Sir William Fettes Douglas
Sir William Fettes Douglas
A self-taught painter, William Fettes Douglas worked as a bank clerk in Edinburgh for ten years. He was a keen antiquarian and collector, and his interests in those fields influenced his choice of subject matter which sometimes included alchemy, astrology and magic. Enormously learned, he was...
