About this artwork
From the North Ayrshire coast it is possible to see the Isles of Arran, Bute, and Cumbrae simultaneously. To fit a single sheet of paper, this sweeping view has been compressed, making the distant peaks of Arran appear heightened and exaggerated. John Clerk of Eldin was one of the first Scottish artists to sketch their native countryside. He travelled the land extensively, drawing alongside the English artist Paul Sandby (1731–1809) and the architect Robert Adam (1728–1792).
Published February 2024
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artist:John Clerk of Eldin (1728 - 1812) Scottish
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title:View of Cumbrae, Bute and Arran
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date created:about 1750s–70s
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materials:Pen, black ink and grey-brown wash on paper
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measurements:18.00 x 37.10 cm
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object type:
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credit line:David Laing Bequest to the Royal Scottish Academy transferred 1910
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accession number:D 96
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gallery:
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subject:
John Clerk of Eldin
John Clerk of Eldin
Clerk was an exceptional amateur artist. His wealthy background afforded him the luxury of entertaining numerous careers, including medicine and business, and he also showed a considerable interest in geology. In the 1740s he began sketching alongside his brother-in-law, Robert Adam, and the artist...
