Parliament Square, Old Edinburgh in the 18th century

Category

Library Item

Item no

7940

Title

Parliament Square, Old Edinburgh in the 18th century

Description

Crowds of people walk in Parliament Square in Edinburgh. A statue of King Charles II on horseback is in the centre of the square and around the perimeter is St Giles' Cathedral, with luckenbooths around the church, the Goldsmith's Hall and The Royal Mile.

Artist / maker

Wilkie, David

Engraver

Le Conte, J and Dobbie, T.

Date

1845

Size

22.3 x 29.1 cm

Type

Aquatint

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image has been chosen for the Edinburgh - Past and Present Exhibition by Malcolm Fraser, Architect - "Parliament Square in the eighteenth century famously hosted the native genius of our Enlightenment thinkers. Their light may still flicker; but the native genius of the Square's architecture - the Scottish classical façade of the Parliament, to the left of the engraving, and the wonderful mediaeval accretion of bays and shops to St Giles - was ruthlessly wiped-out in the early nineteenth century, replaced by neoclassical architectural snootiness of stultifying aridity." Malcolm Fraser.

Parliament Square in Edinburgh is situated immediately to the north of the former Parliament House, now home to the Court of Justiciary and the Court of Session. It was formed along with Parliament House around 1640 on the kirkyard of St Giles. This burial ground, which largely fell out of use in the mid sixteenth century, is the resting place of the prominent religious reformer John Knox. The appearance of the buildings surrounding the square was substantially altered in the 19th century by the addition of frontages designed by Robert Reid.

The engraving is after a painting in the style of John Kay entitled 'The Parliament Close and Public Characters of Edinburgh, 50 years since'. The painting is in the style of John Kay. It has been thought that the painting may be the result of a collaboration. The frame of the painting, which was added long after the painting was completed, states it is the joint production of Sir David Wilkie, Alexander Nasmyth, David Roberts and Clarkson Stanfield, and yet many of the characters in the foreground are similar in style to John Kay's engravings of Edinburgh people. The exact identity of the artist remains unclear. You can see the painting at item 20730 and on display at the Museum of Edinburgh.

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Related images

Related subjects

Architecture > Monuments > Statues

Business > Service industry > Luckenbooths

Government > Local > Guild halls

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Royal Mile

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Religion > Religious facilities > Protestant churches

(55°56′57″N, 3°11′25″W)

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