About this artwork

Heriot’s Hospital was built with a bequest to the city of Edinburgh from the goldsmith George Heriot (d. 1625). Opening in 1659, it was originally a school for the children of freemen of the city and admitted thirty boys. The building, which is still a school, is a flamboyant example of Scottish Renaissance architecture. The view shown here is of the main north entrance. It is dated 1748, a period when Sandby was staying in Edinburgh. He made a number of drawings Edinburgh’s buildings, notably the Palace of Holyrood House (D 2653) and the original building of the Royal College of Surgeons (D 20).

Updated before 2020

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Paul Sandby

Paul Sandby