Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket
About this artwork
The Grassmarket is a spacious open square running along the south side of Edinburgh's Castle rock. It was traditionally the location of the weekly market for corn and cattle, but the east end of the Grassmarket was also the site of the public gallows, last used in 1784. Le Conte’s small, sketchy watercolour is interspersed with areas of great detail, such as the legible shop signs advertising ‘Tobacco + Snuff’, and the flocks of minute birds flying above the castle ramparts. The everyday scene of street-life in the foreground contrasts with the foreboding backdrop of the imposing castle and threatening grey sky.
Updated before 2020
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artist:John Le Conte (1816 - 1887) Scottish
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title:Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket
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date created:1860
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materials:Pen and ink and watercolour on paper
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measurements:36.80 x 25.10 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1953
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accession number:D 4641
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gallery:
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subject:
John Le Conte
John Le Conte
During the 1830s, John Le Conte was employed in the workshop of the engraver Robert Scott before setting up his own engraving business in 1845. He is best known for his watercolours and engravings of the buildings of old Edinburgh. Le Conte was a prolific artist, and his work provides an important...