Macdonald Murdo. In: Interfaces. Image-Texte-Langage 27, This paper addresses imagery that relates to or directly depicts the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. I want to critique the common notion that the literary impulse associated with development of imagery of the Scottish Highlands should be primarily ascribed to Sir Walter Scott.
It is worth recalling here that James Macpherson was bom in 1 , Robert Bums was of the next generation, bom in 1 , and Walter Scott was younger again, bom in The distribution of their key Highland related publications mirrors this age difference. Macpherson makes an impact in the s, Bums in thels and Scott from onwards. His ideas were developed during a period of study in Rome which began in He was financed for his stay there by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik on the condition that he paint murals for Penicuik House near Edinburgh, on his return.
Unfortunately, the Ossianic scheme which resulted was destroyed by fire in 1 , but preparatory sketches remain, for example Ossian Singing ,6 [FIG.
By the time Runciman arrived in Rome in Gavin Hamilton had been engaged for several years on a series of major canvases illustrating The Iliad. For example, Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus , which dates from the early s. But in due course a shift to Ossian took place. One can illuminate this Homer-Ossian conjunction further, in direct iconographical terms.
My identification of this figure is based on his presence at the mourning scene as told in the Iliad. Barry and Runciman had been on close terms in Rome Macmillan , 91 and on his return to London, Barry proposed and eventually carried out a narrative mural scheme every bit as ambitious as that of his Scottish friend. In the Elysium 14 section, in the company of. Thus the period from Runciman to Ingres gives us a key set of images in response to Ossian. I should emphasize the large number of these.
