About this artwork
This sketch was made in preparation for the painting The Irish Whiskey Still (1840). This sketch and painting were produced after Wilkie's visit to Ireland in 1835. He compared Ireland to Spain as a picturesque, wild and romantic place, and described the 'primeval simplicity of the peasants'. He also said that Ireland provided him with 'perfectly new and untouched' material for inspiration. This sketch shows a young boy pouring the distilled spirit into a barrel using a funnel. In the final painting Wilkie changed the child into a girl, wearing a scarlet red skirt.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Sir David Wilkie (1785 - 1841) Scottish
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title:Study for 'The Irish Whiskey Still'
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date created:1835 - 1840
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materials:Pen and grey wash with black chalk on paper
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measurements:8.00 x 11.80 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 2007
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accession number:D 5619
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gallery:
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subject:
Sir David Wilkie
Sir David Wilkie
Wilkie achieved international recognition for his highly original paintings of events and episodes from contemporary life. His skills as a narrator were evident in the facial expressions and poses of his characters, and in the informative detail he included. He was born in Fife, the son of a rural...
