John Knox's House, High Street

Category

Library Item

Item no

19122

Title

John Knox's House, High Street

Artist / maker

Channing, William

Date

1849

Size

17.4 x 25.2 cm

Type

Pencil work; Wash drawing

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

John Knox's House, reputedly the home of the 16th century Protestant Reformer, is situated on the High Street in Edinburgh. It dates from the late 15th century or early 16th century. It was restored in the 19th century. It is now owned by the Church of Scotland and is opened to the public as a museum.

The High Street is the section of Edinburgh's Royal Mile that runs from George IV Bridge down to its junction with Jeffrey Street and St. Mary's Street.

William Channing's drawings and paintings from the bound volume of his 'Sketches in Edinburgh', give an artist's impression of tenement life in the mid 19th century. His drawings are glimpses into the past down the narrow Closes and alleyways of the Old Town. We see higgledy-piggledy houses and tenements towering skywards, laundry hanging from windows across the walkways and local characters talking in the streets.

Channing's delightful sketches are particularly valued for their representation of the architectural elements and details of buildings and closes now much changed or long since disappeared.

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