EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.- One of the earliest known portraits of the legendary hero William Wallace will be sold in Sotheby’s sale of Scottish Paintings at Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh, on Monday, April 14, 2003. The portrait, which was executed around 1640, is attributed to Scottish artist George Jameson (1586-1644) and is estimated at £20,000-£30,000. Leader of the Scots in their struggle to free themselves from English rule in the 13th century, Wallace is a figure of unequalled prominence in Scottish history, representing the spirit of freedom and justice against foreign oppression. Although his bravery, magnanimity and patriotism have since captured the imagination of generations of writers, there are few pictorial representations of this great warrior. Contemporary chroniclers say that he was a large, powerful man ("his blows... fatal and his shafts unerring"), and Jameson’s portrait corresponds closely Carrick’s description of him in his Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie:
"His visage was long, well-proportioned, and exquisitely beautiful; his eyes were bright and piercing, the hair of his head and beard auburn, and inclined to curl; that on his brows and eyelashes was of a lighter shade. His lips were round and full. His stature was lofty and majestic, rising head and shoulders above the tallest men in the country. Yet his form, though gigantic, possessed the most perfect symmetry."
Born around 1270, Wallace is chiefly remembered for having led the Scots in their struggle to free themselves from English occupation. Incited into action by the murder of his father at the hands of English troops, he rallied forces among the commoners of Scotland and mounted a series of fearless attacks on English strongholds. His greatest victory came in 1297 when he attacked the English garrison at Stirling Castle. Though his forces were greatly outnumbered, Wallace lured the English troops into making an impulsive advance across a narrow bridge over the River Forth and slaughtered some 5,000 men across the water. With this overwhelming victory, Wallace captured the hearts and minds of his people - never before had a Scottish army so triumphed over an English aggressor - and his position as leader of the Scots in their struggle for independence was secured. In 1296, Wallace was knighted and proclaimed guardian of the Kingdom, but nine years later he was betrayed by a Scottish knight in service to the English and arrested. He was taken to London where he was condemned as a traitor and barbarically hung, drawn and quartered.
Jameson’s depiction of the Scottish martyr may well have been inspired by a commission he received in 1633 to paint a series of portraits of Scottish monarchs as decorations for the triumphal entry of Charles I. The king was much impressed with Jameson’s work, rewarding him with a diamond ring and securing his reputation as "the Scottish Van Dyke".
Capturing a more settled and artistically productive era of Scottish history is an exciting a group of works by leading Scottish Colourist Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell. Acquired by a Scottish collector direct from the artist in the 1930s, Cadell’s Still Life with Roses has remained in the same family ever since. With its loaded brush and fluid manner, the work reflects the strong influence of Cadell’s friend and colleague S.J.Peploe. Never before seen in public, and still housed in its attractive original frame, Still Life with Roses appears now for the first time on the market with an estimate of £70,000-£100,000.
A rare and important example of Cadell’s early work is also included in the sale. Painted around 1913, The Black Hat belongs to a group of Edwardian society portraits that Cadell produced for families living in the fashionable houses of the New Town in Edinburgh. The identity of the Edwardian beauty depicted in The Black Hat is unknown, but the mystery figure recurs in another work by Cadell - Reflections - Summer, also painted in 1913. Cadell’s works of this period are often characterised by the use of reflective devices - mirrors, glass and silver - allowing the young artist to demonstrate his virtuoso skill in the handling of light. In The Black Hat, subtle colouring is punctuated with bursts of strong blue, red and green and paint is applied with a confidence and freedom that typified the artist’s work following his return from Venice in 1910. With the advent of World War I, Cadell’s style changed dramatically, making this a rare opportunity to acquire an important early painting by one of the most influential Scottish painters of the 20th century. The painting is estimated at £150,000-200,000.
Cadell’s long and close association with S.J. Peploe is captured in two complementary works by the artists. Cadell and Peploe would often spend the summer months together on the island of Iona, sketching and painting subjects that closely reflect their influence on each other. Two such views are included in the sale: Ross of Mull from Iona, by Cadell (est: £20,000-£30,000) and Iona, by Peploe (est: £30,000-£40,000). Unusually, both come from Alaska where they have formed part of a Scottish family’s collection since the 1950s.
Other highlights in the sale include a group of four paintings by Anne Redpath, among them two highly attractive still lifes - Daisies and A Prelude to Spring, estimated at £20,000-£30,000 each.
Among the contemporary works in the sale is a painting by Jack Vettriano, The Mark of Cain (est: £15,000-£20,000). Vettriano’s work has become increasingly popular in recent years, his City Café having made a world auction record when it realized £44,215 in Sotheby’s sale at Gleneagles last August.
Various works of local topographical interest include a particularly fine view of Edinburgh from Carlton Hill by the French painter Frederich Bourgeois de Mercey. Providing an intriguing record of the topography of the city in the early 1850s, the work is estimated at £25,000-£35,000.
With its wide range of subjects, styles and periods, the sale at Hopetoun this April comes in the wake of an extremely strong year for Scottish art in 2002. Sotheby’s sales at Hopetoun and Gleneagles last year saw a number of record prices achieved for Scottish works, among them £523,650 for John Frederick Herring’s The Halt - the highest price for a painting sold in Scotland.