Entrance to the crypt, Roslin Chapel thumbnail 1
Not on display

Entrance to the crypt, Roslin Chapel

Oil Painting
1843 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Roberts, David (painter (artist))

Oil painting entitled 'Entrance to the Crypt, Roslin Chapel' by David Roberts. Great Britain, 1843.

Object details

Categories
Paintings
Scotland
Object type
Oil painting
TitleEntrance to the crypt, Roslin Chapel (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Oil on panel
Oil Paint
Panel
Oil Painting
Brief description
Oil painting entitled 'Entrance to the Crypt, Roslin Chapel' by David Roberts. Great Britain, 1843.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 71.6cm
  • Estimate width: 62.1cm
  • Frame height: 1010mm (measured)
  • Frame width: 885mm (measured)
  • Frame depth: 115mm (measured ) (Note: Build-up added on 10.07.2019)
Estimated dimensions taken from Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990
Style
British School
Marks and inscriptions
'David Roberts RA 1843' (Signed and dated (indistinctly) by the artist, diagonally, lower left)
Gallery label
(2002)
49. David Roberts (1796-1864)
Entrance to the Crypt, Roslin Chapel 1843.
Oil on panel, 71.6 x 62.1 cm (30 x 24½ ins)

Roslin Chapel, near Edinburgh, celebrated for its sculpture and elaborate decorative carving, was founded in 1446; it was only partly completed, damaged in 1668, and restored in 1862. Himself a Scotsman, Roberts particularly loved this building and made several sketches of it. He also sought to prevent it from being over-restored by an unsympathetic architect. The intricately carved `Prentice Pillar' (the twisted column in front of the kneeling figure) was the source of a lurid legend: It was said that an apprentice carved it while his master was absent. When the master mason returned he is said to have murdered the apprentice in a fit of jealously, as he knew that he could no longer match the skill of the young man. The ancient legend fitted well with the romantic gloom of an elaborately decorated Gothic interior, a mixture of horror and beauty.

Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857 (FA 174)
P.251
Credit line
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Object history
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Subject depicted
Chapel
Bibliographic references
  • Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990, p. 251
  • Evans, Mark et al. Vikutoria & Arubāto Bijutsukan-zō : eikoku romanshugi kaigaten = The Romantic tradition in British painting, 1800-1950 : masterpieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Japan : Brain Trust, 2002
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
FA.174[O]

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 24, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O80196/entrance-to-the-crypt-roslin-oil-painting-roberts-david/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest