Lot Essay
Watson Gordon's definitive portrait of Scott in old age shown full face was painted in 1830 for Robert Cadell publisher and is now in the Cowdray Collection. This portrait, painted for William Stirling whom was later to organise the 1871 Scott Exhibition, was apparently based on the unfinished half-length in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, no.575 (Russell op.cit no.59): a terminus ante quem of 1831 for the evolution of the type established by a dated version formerly in the Minto Collection (Russell no.60).
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was born as his solicitor father's namesake. He became an advocate in 1792 and combined the Law with collecting ballads, an interest since childhood, when he had also written some poetry. His first adult literary venture was a translation of Burger's Lenore in 1796. 1799 saw Scott appointed Sheriff-depute for Selkirk and gave him the opportunity of collecting many more ballads. The result was Border Minstrelsy, published in 1802-3, which was followed by the Lay of the Last Minstrel in 1805. It was an immense success. He started Waverley, his first novel, in that year but soon abandoned it. Marmion, published in 1808, was as much a success as its predecessor; Scott was not regarded as one of the most prominent narrative poets.
Lady of the Lake, Rokeby, and Lord of the Isles all followed from his pen, but Scott changed the direction of his literary efforts. He had found the manuscript of Waverley and the finished novel, published in July 1814, went through six editions before the year's end. There followed nine novels in the next five years. In 1819, with Ivanhoe, he departed from his habit of writing from experience. Although very lame, he had travelled widely in Scotland to gather material and examine the countryside for his novels. He now researched by reading, but Ivanhoe was another great success, nevertheless, Saintsbury said of him "he created the historical novel."
Scott's interests were enormously wide. He edited the works of earlier poets and published them with biographies Dryden, (1808), Swift (1814), A Life of Napoleon... (1827) and Tales of a Grandfather, a three-part history of Scotland for children. He was also quartermaster in a volunteer cavalry regiment, and involved himself in politics. This interest caused him to write for the retention of Scottish bank-notes, for the restoration of forfeited Scottish peerages and for the polite reception in Edinburgh of that unpopular exile, Charles X of France.
His own Sovereign, George IV, had created this astonishing man a baronet in March, 1820. As a partner in a failed publishing firm, he was unable to rest on laurels like the baronetcy in his last years, and died of a long-standing illness made worse by overwork on 21st September, 1832. It is not surprising that a character of such talent and breadth should appeal to Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, who in 1871 was an active organiser of a Scott exhibition in Edinburgh, and wrote the preface of the catalogue.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was born as his solicitor father's namesake. He became an advocate in 1792 and combined the Law with collecting ballads, an interest since childhood, when he had also written some poetry. His first adult literary venture was a translation of Burger's Lenore in 1796. 1799 saw Scott appointed Sheriff-depute for Selkirk and gave him the opportunity of collecting many more ballads. The result was Border Minstrelsy, published in 1802-3, which was followed by the Lay of the Last Minstrel in 1805. It was an immense success. He started Waverley, his first novel, in that year but soon abandoned it. Marmion, published in 1808, was as much a success as its predecessor; Scott was not regarded as one of the most prominent narrative poets.
Lady of the Lake, Rokeby, and Lord of the Isles all followed from his pen, but Scott changed the direction of his literary efforts. He had found the manuscript of Waverley and the finished novel, published in July 1814, went through six editions before the year's end. There followed nine novels in the next five years. In 1819, with Ivanhoe, he departed from his habit of writing from experience. Although very lame, he had travelled widely in Scotland to gather material and examine the countryside for his novels. He now researched by reading, but Ivanhoe was another great success, nevertheless, Saintsbury said of him "he created the historical novel."
Scott's interests were enormously wide. He edited the works of earlier poets and published them with biographies Dryden, (1808), Swift (1814), A Life of Napoleon... (1827) and Tales of a Grandfather, a three-part history of Scotland for children. He was also quartermaster in a volunteer cavalry regiment, and involved himself in politics. This interest caused him to write for the retention of Scottish bank-notes, for the restoration of forfeited Scottish peerages and for the polite reception in Edinburgh of that unpopular exile, Charles X of France.
His own Sovereign, George IV, had created this astonishing man a baronet in March, 1820. As a partner in a failed publishing firm, he was unable to rest on laurels like the baronetcy in his last years, and died of a long-standing illness made worse by overwork on 21st September, 1832. It is not surprising that a character of such talent and breadth should appeal to Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, who in 1871 was an active organiser of a Scott exhibition in Edinburgh, and wrote the preface of the catalogue.