'The Abbotsford family' (Sir Walter Scott, 1st Bt)

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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'The Abbotsford family' (Sir Walter Scott, 1st Bt)

by William Greatbach, published by George Virtue, after Sir David Wilkie
line engraving, (1817)
10 1/8 in. x 14 in. (258 mm x 356 mm) plate size; 11 3/4 in. x 17 1/4 in. (300 mm x 439 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D40615

Sitterback to top

Artistsback to top

  • William Greatbach (1802-1885), Engraver and illustrator. Artist or producer associated with 40 portraits.
  • George Virtue (1794-1868), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 28 portraits.
  • Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), Painter. Artist or producer associated with 17 portraits, Sitter in 21 portraits.

Placesback to top

Events of 1817back to top

Current affairs

Princess Charlotte, only daughter of George, Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, dies in childbirth, prompting widespread mourning.
Seditious Meetings Bill drives democratic societies underground.
Rising depression and discontent; Prince Regent's coach attacked at state opening of Parliament.

Art and science

John Keats begins to write his epic poem Endymion on the Isle of Wight; a rite of passage as a professional poet after deserting his medical career.
John Constable exhibits Flatford Mill, one of his most famous naturalistic landscape paintings, at the Royal Academy
John Rennie's new Waterloo Bridge opens.

International

Journalist William Cobbett flees to America fearing prosecution. Already imprisoned for two years for seditious libel he grew more vehemently pro-reform on his release and reduced the price of his weekly periodical the Political Register to expand its circulation and influence to all classes.
James Monroe is elected President of the United States.

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Mike Hurman

11 November 2018, 16:27

The original is https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/8202/abbotsford-family

The names of all sitters are: In the centre Sir Walter Scott is seated on a bank; on his left are captain (afterwords Sir) Adam Ferguson, Mr Walter Scott, (afterwords Sir Walter,Lt Col of the 15th Hussars) and Mr Charles Scott, behind them is Tom Purdie (Scott's Gamekeeper). On the right, Lady Scott dressed as a cottage matron, with miss Anne Scott and in front is Miss Sophia Scott (afterwords Mrs Lockhart) Close by her is Sir Walter Scott's famous deerhound Maida.