Edinburgh Castle and the Proposed National Gallery
About this artwork
This watercolour drawing illustrates how Playfair’s proposed new National Gallery of Scotland building would look against the rugged grandeur of the Castle. Although the design for the building was based on ancient classical sources, the historical backdrop of the Castle Rock only served to highlight the modernity of Playfair’s new building. Playfair did not dogmatically follow the academic principles of the Greek Revival in his design and placed emphasis on creating a building that would suit the needs of its occupants and more importantly the scenic requirements of the site.
Updated before 2020
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artist:William Henry Playfair (1790 - 1857) Scottish
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title:Edinburgh Castle and the Proposed National Gallery
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date created:Unknown
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materials:Pencil and watercolour on paper
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measurements:26.60 x 36.10 cm
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object type:
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credit line:William Finlay Watson Bequest 1881
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accession number:D 2419
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gallery:
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair was one of the leading architects in nineteenth-century Scotland. His buildings were models of classicism, and the majority were constructed in the Greek Revival style. More than any other architect, he was responsible for Edinburgh earning its reputation as ‘The Athens of...