Scotland in Art: Wildlife - Esther

No, I don’t mean Saturday night in every town centre. I mean the actual animals that live here. There’s a lot of talk nowadays about native versus invading species but like any good immigration policy, I’d happily welcome anyone hardy enough to tough it out in our climate & inherent distrust of others form here, there or anywhere really. So it will be with today’s blog. We’re not going to worry too much about when or if they were introduced here by humans during less enlightened times or whether they are summer or winter visitors – if they’re here, we’re claiming them. & just as well because they’re hard to find in decent artwork. Sadly many artworks of Scotland’s wildlife are linked with killing it for sport. Others are decorative rather than artistic & those get enough attention on mugs & teatowels. Dear Reader, I’ve done what I can…

Monarch of the Glen (1851), Edwin Landseer (1802-1873)

As shortbread tin & ubiquitous as this has become & regardless of the horrible, horrible reproductions you see of it, seen in person, this painting is nothing short of spectacular. It would be entirely wrong to have left it out just because it’s been appropriated for hideous merchandise & a false image of an imaginary romantic Scotland. Weighing in at a significant 163.8 x 168.9 cm, he is as magnificent as you might envision. When I checked the size on Wikipedia, I also noticed information about his antlers: he is merely a “royal stag” & not a “monarch stag” since his antlers only have twelve & not sixteen spikes, a fact that seems interesting & tedious all at once. Anyway, Landseer’s brush strokes expertly pick out the individual hairs on his face & the wet on his nose; the spare composition (by Landseer’s standards) creates the impact that has lasted almost a couple of centuries. I might well nip in to see him at the National Gallery, since I’ll be in Edinburgh anyway. I’ll say hi to him from you.

The Fox Hunt (1893), Winslow Homer (1836-1910)  

This is not a Scottish fox of course as Homer painted the US but it’s a beautiful painting & it highlights the plight of creatures hunted needlessly for “sport” here & in other countries. I have no time for human hunters. & don’t come to me moaning about what foxes do to your chickens, keep them safe at night; they’re your responsibility. Although fox hunting is covered by the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, there are still those that look for loopholes to exempt them in their psychotic pursuit of killing for no reason. If one can spit in print, please consider a spit to have been made.

Salmon (1961), Harry Webster (b. 1921)

There’s a great interest in salmon as a food & object of killing in Scotland. I think I’ve made my position clear about all that, but as a child I recall being taken to see salmon jumping over some rapids. It was thrilling to watch but the excitement quickly turned to sadness when I was told that after their huge migratory journeys, after all that jumping to return to their birthplace, after finally getting to reproduce they would die. It was a baffling & sobering lesson then & it still makes little sense now.

Ploughman & Crows (1903), Alec Grieve (1864-1933)

This painting’s not so much about the crows but I like it because it evokes the very agricultural nature of the North East of Scotland where I’ve always lived. The world over, some wild birds are very much “farm” birds, following the sowing of seeds & irritating many a farmer. Some species such as lapwings were always to be seen in their dozens in & over the fields near here but their once abundant numbers have dwindled to the point where I can’t recall the last time I saw one. The cawing of rooks to this day reminds me of happy days staying with my grandparents in the small town of Portsoy.

Flying Puffin (1995), Maureen Finn (?)

There is a great deal of terrible puffin art, but the splashy application of the paint in this image evokes their frantic fluttering as they tear through the air.

The Scottish Wildcat (?), Ralston Gudgeon (1910-1984)

There are thought to be around four hundred true Scottish wildcats left, with between one & four thousand that have bred with domestic cats. Very few artists will have seen one. Judging by his dates, the amazingly named Ralston Gudgeon is likely to have painted this piece from a stuffed creature. He’s definitely seen one of some sort, judging by the white puffy cheeks & very thick blunt tail & I like that he’s rendered the wildcat in an almost Japanese style. (Looking at his expression, it’s tempting to make the “he’s not only wild, he’s furious” joke…)

Wemyss Caves Fish Picture (c. 1,500 - 4,000 years ago)

The Wemyss Caves in Fife have a number of Pictish cave drawings etched into the stone. The caves are under constant threat from erosion & collapse. The carvings include an early depiction of a Viking longship as well as a number of animals, such as this fish (or perhaps it’s a whale).

Sense of Belonging (2021), Patrick Murphy (b. 1969)

Scotland has a love/hate relationship with gulls. I’m thoroughly in the love camp. Many people apply human traits such as greed & evil to gulls, but for me they’re survivors, nothing short of an adapted evolutionary miracle. As much as I love a skull, I also love a gull & these life-size sculptures by Patrick Murphy may be in France’s capital rather than Scotland’s, but I’d happily have them atop my building. I also love the title he’s given them.

Anatomy of an Earthworm (1901), Unknown

Previously I may well have shared the fact that there are twenty-seven known species of earthworm in the UK. I’ve since learned there are twenty-nine species after all (!) but remarkably few artworks of them, it seems. I’ve had to go for a scientific portrayal in the form of an anatomical drawing. These are nevertheless fascinating, beautiful & vastly underrated things & before photography, an incredible record of what is on the earth. It might be a humble & often forgotten creature, but even something as small & unseen as this has its important place in the scheme of things. It’s amazing to see how complex it is, considering its size & day-to-day activities.