About this artwork
Surprisingly, given the beauty of this sensitive drawing, the artist never met his subject, Robert Burns. Skirving used the well-known painting of Burns by Alexander Nasmyth as the basis for this work. There are very few portraits of Scotland's most famous poet actually taken directly from the sitter. Skirving's interpretation idealises Burns, making him a perfectly handsome, smooth-faced romantic figure.
Updated before 2020
-
artist:Archibald Skirving (1749 - 1819) Scottish
-
title:Robert Burns, 1759 - 1796. Poet
-
date created:1796 - 1798
-
materials:Chalk on paper
-
measurements:54.90 x 42.50 cm (framed: 83.82 x 69.21 x 8.89 cm)
-
object type:
-
credit line:Purchased 1911
-
accession number:PG 745
-
gallery:
-
depicted:
-
subject:
-
artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.
Archibald Skirving
Archibald Skirving
Skirving was born near Haddington, East Lothian. After being educated locally, he began work as a junior clerk at the Customs Office in Edinburgh. It is thought that Skirving also studied at the Trustees' Academy in the city at the same time, while painting miniatures at night. By the end of 1777...