Callaghan, Angela (2013) The ceiling of Skelmorlie aisle: a narrative articulated in paint. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4891/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] THE CEILING OF SKELMORLIE AISLE: A NARRATIVE ARTICULATED IN PAINT. Author: Angela Callaghan Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Humanities College of Arts University of Glasgow © Angela Callaghan 2013 CONTENTS Author’s Declaration Acknowledgements Abstract List of Plates Buildings Visited Abbreviations Introduction 1 Chapter One EARLY MODERN SCOTTISH NOBILITY: EXPERIENCES AND INFLUENCES 32 1. 1 Early Modern Scottish Nobility 34 1. 2 Contemporary Religion 40 1. 3 Montgomerie, seventh of Skelmorlie: Personal Profile 48 1.4 The Ayrshire Vendetta 57 1.5 Direct Involvement of the Skelmorlie Branch 62 Chapter Two CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 71 2. 1 Burial Aisles 72 2. 2 Skelmorlie Aisle 74 2. 3 Laird's Lofts 76 2.4 Domestic Architecture 78 2.5 Interior Decoration and Design: The Painted Ceiling in Scotland 80 2.6 Ayrshire Examples of the Painted Ceiling 84 2.7 Types of Ceiling Construction 86 2.8 Colours and Materials 89 2.9 The Influence of the Reformation and the Transferral of the Royal Court 90 2.9a The Patron/Artist Relationship 95 2.9b The Montgomerie/ Stalker Relationship 100 Chapter Three SOURCES, ARTISTIC ORIGINALITY AND THE POSITIONING OF THE PAINTINGS 105 3. 1 A New Approach to Religious Iconography 106 3. 2 Sources: Continental Influence 110 3. 3 Emblem Books 115 3.4 Sources used for Scottish Painted Ceilings 125 3.5 Seton's Pinkie House Decorative Scheme 127 3.6 Stalker's Sources 130 3.7 Skelmorlie Aisle: Artistic Originality 144 3.8 The View from the Church and the Positioning of the Paintings 147 Chapter Four ESTABLISHING GENRE: DEATH AND MEMORY WITHIN THE CEILING ICONOGRAPHY 158 4. 1 Life and Death 160 4. 2 The Theatre of Death 166 4. 3 The Body Divided 170 4.4 Painting Death 173 Chapter Five PAINTING THE WORD: ANALYSIS OF THE RELIGIOUS ICONOGRAPHY 185 5. 1 Dutch Influence at Skelmorlie Aisle 186 5. 2 Old Testament Narratives 187 5. 3 The Tribes of Israel 191 5.4 Biblical Quotations 193 5.5 Early Modern Landscape Paintings 195 5.6 Stalker's Seasons 200 Chapter Six A SURVEY OF THE VERNACULAR PAINTINGS, HERALDIC REPRESENTATIONS AND CARDINAL VIRTUES 221 6. 1 The ‘Achievement’ of Power and Pride 222 6. 2 A Virtuous Nature? 225 6. 3 The Sea 228 6.4 The Land 250 Conclusion 264 Plates Appendix 1 Montgomerie Family Tree Appendix II Biblical Quotations from Skelmorlie Aisle Bibliography AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I declare that, except where explicit reference is made to the contribution of others, that this dissertation is the result of my own work and has not been submitted for any other degree at the University of Glasgow or any other institution. Signature_________________________________________________ Printed Name _____________________________________________ Date_____________________________________________________ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to the many people who have assisted me in the course of writing this dissertation. Firstly, my grateful thanks and appreciation to my supervisors, Dr Lizanne Henderson and Professor E.J. Cowan, for their guidance and advice. To the staff of the University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus; in particular Dr David Borthwick, Director of Postgraduate Research, for his unfaltering support and encouragement for which I am extremely grateful. My thanks to Dr Bethan Wood and Dr Steven Gillespie for their continued interest and support. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Crichton Foundation and GRATA for their financial assistance. My special thanks to the staff of Historic Scotland Conservation Centre, especially Robert Wilmot, Ailsa Murray and Michael Pearce. My thanks is also extended to Irene Innes of Largs and District Historical Society. A very special thank you to my dear friend Carolyn Gordon for painstakingly reading through every word and for her constant support and encouragement. I also extend my gratitude to Madeleine Campbell-Jewett for her friendship and words of wisdom. To my parents, Alex and Nan Mc Hendry, my most grateful thanks for their financial support and encouragement. A very loving thank you to my family, Martin, Julia and Jonathan, for always believing in me and without whose love and constant support I would not have been able to undertake this project. And finally, to my beloved Basset Hounds Faegan, Wilma, Barney, Bessie, Benny, Lottie, Winston and Alfie who have been my constant companions, sharing every joy and frustration with unconditional love and devotion. Their comforting presence meant so much to me during the writing of this thesis and it is with the most heartfelt sadness that Wilma, Barney, Faegan, Bessie and Alfie could not be here at its completion. Angela Callaghan November 2013 ABSTRACT The intention of this thesis was to demonstrate that, with in-depth analysis, a carefully and deliberately constructed narrative could be revealed within the ceiling paintings of Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Scotland (c.1638). The ceiling adorned a burial aisle, which was erected by Sir Robert Montgomerie, seventh of Skelmorlie, in honour of his wife, Dame Margaret Douglas. The paintings, executed by Edinburgh apprentice James Stalker, are the only surviving example of the genre signed and dated by the artist. The ceiling was composed of forty-one individual compartments each one containing different combinations of emblems, designs, human figures, animals, birds and heraldic representations. Of the forty-one compartments, four of these contained landscape paintings, depicting the seasons, and their associated labours. Two unusual paintings were also executed each containing representations of a female figure on the land and by the sea. By a study of semiotics, this dissertation systematically re-constructed the narrative concealed within the paintings. This revealed the intrinsic meaning of the iconography. The thesis argued that simple observation revealed very little information relating to the understanding of the paintings and in-depth study was required to elucidate this. The narrative began with an exploration of seventeenth-century nobility with a particular focus on the patron, Sit Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie. It then considered the role of architecture and design in Early Modern Scotland with a discussion on domestic architecture and burial aisles. An exploration into the painted ceiling in seventeenth-century Scotland was also included as was a consideration of the role of the artist and patron. A focus on the sources available to artists in Scotland during the Early Modern period, followed with a particular investigation into those used within the ceiling iconography of Skelmorlie Aisle. Whether it was intended that the ceiling iconography was to be read in a specific order was also included. These initial stages provided a platform from which an in-depth analysis of the iconography within the paintings, could be undertaken. The methodology applied here was that composed by German born art historian Erwin Panofsky. Panofsky argued that identifying objects, shapes and forms did not convey why certain components were chosen or what they meant. The first step was to ascertain the genesis of the sources, as this provided a greater understanding of the narrative and why they were chosen by Montgomerie. The research revealed that, with the exception of generic designs of floral patterns and scrollwork, the iconography within the paintings was not chosen at random; each component was selected for a very specific reason. When all of the factors were considered and the iconography analysed in depth, the full narrative became exposed. PLATES All images of Skelmorlie Aisle were reproduced by the kind permission of Historic Scotland. (CD-ROM. attached) Plate 1 James Stalker, Painted Ceiling, (c.1638) Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 2 Skelmorlie Aisle (c.1636-39), Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 3 Monument (c.1639) Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 4 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, Ver, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/ 2. Plate 5 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, Aestas, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/3. Plate 6 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, Autumnus, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/ 1. Plate 7 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, Hyems, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/4. Plate 8 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, The Land, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/6. Plate 9 HS, Ultra-Violet Light Photography, The Sea, Skelmorlie Aisle HS. UV. SA/5. Plate 10 W.H. Ross, Painted Ceiling, Skelmorlie Aisle (c.1819), included in Robert Dobie Wilson, The Skelmorlie Aisle and Monuments at Largs, (Edinburgh, 1889). Plate 11 Andrew Lyons, ‘The painted ceiling in the old church at Largs’, Proceedings of the Antiquar#ies Society of Scotland vol. xxxv,1904. Plate 12 James Stalker, The Land (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 13 James Stalker, The Sea (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 14 James Stalker, Heraldic Displays (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 15 James Stalker, Adam and Eve (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 16 James Stalker, Esau and Jacob (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 17 James Stalker, Fortitude, (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire. Plate 18 James Stalker, Ver (c.1638), Skelmorlie Aisle, Largs, Ayrshire.