Italian Room, detail of painted panel showing a classical landscape. Digital image of ED 1951.

Description Italian Room, detail of painted panel showing a classical landscape. Digital image of ED 1951.

Date 6/5/1958

Collection Records of the Scottish National Buildings Record, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 774505

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of ED 1951

Scope and Content Detail of overmantel painting in the Yew Tree Room, Prestonfield House, No 71 Priestfield Road, Edinburgh This shows a mid-18th-century panel painting depicting an Italianate landscape executed by the Norie family of artists. The scene shows peasants and cows amongst Classical ruins in the landscape. The unusually-shaped mouldings are stepped to make a more striking surround to the piece. The Yew Tree Room is named after the tree which is visible from the window of the room, which was planted at the same time as the house was built. The Norie family worked in other rooms in the house, most notably on a series of panel paintings in the 'Italian Room'. The painters would have also simulated marble effects on pillars and columns in the rooms, creating a very rich and layered decorative effect. Prestonfield House was rebuilt for Sir James Dick in 1687 by the architect Sir William Bruce (c.1630-1710) after being burnt down during a student riot in 1681. A single-storeyed extension was added in c.1830, and in 1890 architects MacGibbon & Ross added a bathroom extension. Within the grounds is an unusual round stable block built in 1816 to designs by James Gillespie Graham (1777-1855). The house has been run as a hotel since 1959. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/774505

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap