About this artwork
The High Street forms part of Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile, which leads from the Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Duguid's view looks towards the Castle, which is concealed by the distant buildings. In the foreground people gather for water at one of the wells. The brown building on the right is one Edinburgh's oldest and was supposedly once the home of Protestant Reformer John Knox, however it is unlikely that Knox ever actually lived there. Dominating the skyline are the spires of the Tron Kirk and the High Kirk of St Giles where Knox preached his famous sermons. This drawing is likely to date from the early 1820s, as it shows the original steeple of the Tron Kirk, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1824 and subsequently re-built.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Henry G. Duguid (1805 - 1860) Scottish
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title:The High Street, looking West from John Knox’s House, Edinburgh
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date created:Early 1820s
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materials:Watercolour over pencil on paper
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measurements:25.80 x 37.50 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 2463
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gallery:
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subject:
Henry G. Duguid
Henry G. Duguid
Duguid was primarily a painter of landscapes and buildings, working mainly in oil and watercolour. His dates of birth and death are unknown, but according to entries in the Edinburgh Annual Directory, he was a teacher of 'painting, drawing and pianoforte' at various addresses in the city between...