On this gloomy , muddy day , I present to you " A scene of Tantallon Castle " by Alexander Nasmyth ( 1758 - 1840 ) , who is regarded as the founder of Scots landscape house painting . Nasmyth ’s opinion of theTantallon Castleis illustration of the vogue for which he is most well - known : Scottish landscape painting in the Italian tradition .
1 . Alexander Nasmyth provided several illustration for collect editions of Sir Walter Scott ’s poem . The inspiration for " A sentiment of Tantallon Castle " is thought to have come from Scott ’s epic verse form , Marmion : A Tale of Flodden Field , in which Scott describes the fourteenth - century palace and a " gather ocean - violent storm . "
2 . Nasmyth was very tangled in the alteration and improvements in Edinburgh . In a competition for the best design for laying out and work up " the New Town of Edinburgh , " Nasmyth and two others shared first prize . When he was n’t designing the improvements himself , Nasmyth was often commission to paint landscape scenes that illustrated a proposed alteration . Known also " as a gentleman of scientific discipline , " he designed the Dean Bridge in Edinburgh and invented " bow and string " bridges , a new sort of rivet , and a method of driving the screw - propellers of vessels by verbatim action .
3 . While Nasmyth is live for his landscape , his most famous painting ishis portrayal of Robert Burns . The two Isle of Man were friend , often walk together through scenic areas of Scotland , and Nasmyth drew encouragement for his own work from Burns ' poems . The Gentleman ’s Magazinewrote , " To his friendly relationship with Burns the world is indebted for the only authentic portrait which exist of the great Scotch poet . "
4 . In 1798 , Nasmyth open up his own art school at his rest home , 47 York Place , in Edinburgh . He believed that students should cast directly from nature , not be studio apartment - bound . His students included his son Patrick , who became a successful landscape painter ; his daughters Anne , Barbara , Charlotte , and Jane , who also became cougar ; and his sonJames , a renowned engineerand the inventor of the steam hammer , who also later on became an creative person .
A large version of the house painting is availablehere .
' Feel Art Again ' appears every Tuesday and Thursday .
