| Description
| 'Bothwell Castle on the Clyde 1792', Gouache over pencil, in large frame and mount. Signed and dated lower centre PS 1792. Painted in 1792, this shows Scotland's finest medieval castle, seen from across the river Clyde.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was a popular attraction for wealthy tourists in search of romantic ruins. Black's Picturesque Tourist of Scotland, published in 1876, tells us that tourists were admitted "by the principal gateway only on Tuesdays, when the family is absent, from 11am, and expected to retire from the grounds before 4pm".
At the time this scene was painted, Bothwell Castle was owned by Archibald, Lord Douglas, whose mansion can be seen to the right. The house, built about 1700 using stone from the castle, was demolished in 1926.
Lord Douglas married Lady Frances Scott, the sister of the Duke of Buccleuch. Lady Frances was sketched by Sandby and may have been his pupil.
Sandby received many commissions to draw country seats of the nobility and gentry. He painted several views of Bothwell Castle. Five are in the collections of the National Gallery of Scotland. Early views date from the period he spent working as an official draughtsman with William Roy on the Survey of Scotland, 1747-55. Some of these sketches were later developed to highly finished watercolours and gouaches. |
