George Meikle Kemp, 1795 - 1844. Architect and designer of the Scott Monument
About this artwork
Kemp, who had originally trained as a carpenter, was one of the 54 entrants in the 1836 competition for a Walter Scott memorial in Edinburgh. Inspired by medieval ruins and Gothic architecture, he entered under the pseudonym of John Morvo, a name that appears as an inscription on Melrose Abbey and is thought to have been of a mason working on the building. The proposals earned him one of three prizes, and when the competition was rerun in 1838 Kemp won the commission. Initially controversial, his monument to Scott is a striking Gothic structure that dominates Princes street. Sadly, Kemp drowned in the Union Canal before the monument’s completion. His brother-in-law, William Bonnar, the artist of this portrait, supervised the building work until its conclusion.
Updated before 2020
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artist:William Bonnar (1800 - 1853) Scottish
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title:George Meikle Kemp, 1795 - 1844. Architect and designer of the Scott Monument
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date created:About 1840
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materials:Oil on panel
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measurements:34.30 x 28.00 cm; Framed: 53.80 x 46.70 x 6.30 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Given by Thomas Bonnar to the National Gallery of Scotland; transferred 1889
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accession number:PG 246
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
William Bonnar
William Bonnar
William Bonnar was born in Edinburgh, the son of a housepainter. At an early age he showed an aptitude for painting and was apprenticed to a leading decorative artist. In 1824 he exhibited for the first time as a professional artist; five years later he was elected a member of the Royal Scottish...