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Traquair House, 3rd. floor, Library, detail of painted classical scholar (Homer). Digital image of D 59989 CN.

SC 759990

Description Traquair House, 3rd. floor, Library, detail of painted classical scholar (Homer). Digital image of D 59989 CN.

Date 11/10/1999

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 759990

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 59989 CN

Scope and Content Painting of a bust of Homer in the library, Traquair House, Scottish Borders This shows part of the painted coving around the library, which was created 1700-40, and still houses a collection of over 3,000 books. The painting depicts the Classical scholar, Homer, and is executed in 'grisaille' (tones of grey) and is intended to fool the eye into thinking a real sculpture is placed above marbled panelling. Further Classical writers are depicted around the rest of the coving. Country house libraries were often very large and opulently-furnished, as they were designed to show visitors how educated and cultured their host was. Books themselves were very expensive, and a collection of leather-bound volumes punched with gold decoration were a further indication of status and wealth. Traquair is the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland, with its origins in the 10th century. It was the site of a royal hunting lodge in the 1200s, but the house as seen today is based around a c.1512 tower-house with many later additions. The flanking service wings were built in 1695 to designs by architect James Smith (c.1645-1731), who also designed the wrought-iron screens round the courtyard in 1698. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/759990

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap

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