THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND PRESENTS 'PAUL SANDBY: PICTURING BRITAIN'

THIS WINTER THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH, PRESENTS A MAJOR EXHIBITION, 'PAUL SANDBY: PICTURING BRITAIN' WHICH CELEBRATES THE BICENTENARY OF THE ARTIST PAUL SANDBY (1731-1809). A PIONEER LANDSCAPE PAINTER AND BRILLIANT INNOVATOR WITH WATERCOLOUR, SANDBY PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN PROMOTING THE APPRECIATION OF SPECTACULAR SCENERY ACROSS BRITAIN AND INSPIRED MANY LATER TRAVELERS AND ARTISTS. ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS WORK HAS LONG BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED, THIS IS THE FIRST EXHIBITION TO INCLUDE AND ANALYZE THE FULL RANGE OF SANDBY'S ACHIEVEMENT. ON EXHIBITION FROM 7.NOVEMBER THROUGH 7.FEBRUARY.2010.
PAUL SANDBY WAS BORN IN NOTTINGHAM IN 1731. HE VISITED SCOTLAND EARLY IN HIS CAREER AS PART OF A MILITARY SURVEY, WHICH THROUGH MAP MAKING, FORMED PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO CONTROL THE COUNTRY AFTER THE 1745 JACOBITE REBELLION. DURING HIS TIME AS THE SURVEY'S CHIEF DRAUGHTSMAN HE WAS BASED IN EDINBURGH AND PRODUCED NUMEROUS GROUND-BREAKING LANDSCAPE AND GENRE STUDIES. THESE WORKS BECAME WELL KNOWN THROUGH PRINTS, AND STAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RICH TRADITION OF DEPICTING THE DRAMA AND BEAUTY OF SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE, WHICH LATER DEVELOPED BY ARTISTS SUCH AS RUNCIMAN, NASMYTH, MORE , AND TURNER. SANDBY ALSO CAME TO KNOW THE WORK OF IMPORTANT ENLIGHTENMENT FIGURES, SUCH AS THE POET ALLAN RAMSAY AND THE ARCHITECT ROBERT ADAM. SANDBY HAS OFTEN BEEN CONSIDERED THE 'FATHER' OF WATERCOLOUR PAINTING IN BRITAIN; HE REFINED THE USE OF THE MEDIUM AND EMPLOYED IT TO EXPLORE A BROADER RANGE OF SUBJECT MATTER THAN ANY PREVIOUS ARTIST IN THE COUNTRY. HE DELIGHTED IN THE STUDY OF RURAL AND URBAN VIEWS, STREET SCENES, ROYAL PARKS AND ANCIENT CASTLES, AND ALWAYS RETAINED AN INTEREST IN FASCINATING ANECDOTAL DETAILS, WHICH EMBRACE THE FASHIONS, OCCUPATIONS AND ENTERTAINMENTS OF THE PEOPLE HE ENCOUNTERED.
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