Edouart, Augustin (SCC Newsletter August 2002)

EDOUART & SIR WALTER SCOTT

Sir Walter Scott was born in 1771. He became a hugely successful novelist, as well as producing poetry and writing a history of Scotland and a Life of Napoleon. He is considered to be the creator of the historical novel with its mixture of adventure, superstition and romance. Above all he exerted a strong influence on the intellectual life and history of Scotland. He was a very prolific writer producing his first novel (Waverley) in 1814.Also he wrote at an astonishing speed. He wrote Kenilworth in 1821 -this is said to have been his greatest novel. He wrote many others from 1822 until 1829 - he even had two novels published in the year of his death in 1832!

It is not for me to go into the merits of his writings - particularly as I have not read one of his novels from cover to cover - but there is little doubt that he was very popular in his day and much has been written about him over the years. He was nick-named "The Wizard of the North".

Scott had a wide circle of friends and admirers so understandably there were many demands for his portrait. The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland possesses over forty portraits of him in various media and an even larger collection of engravings based on these and other portraits. He was painted by Raeburn and Sir, David Wilkie amongst the many. He had to give many sittings and is said to have found it all rather tedious. Not surprisingly Edouart had to get in on the act. Scott must have found Edouart's rapid 'cutting' a great relief -a minute or two and it was all over!

Scott went to live in Abbottsford in 1812 - the house is about 35 miles from Edinburgh. Edouart cut a number of portraits of Scott -some of these were obviously cut at Abbottsford either sitting at his desk or in his arm-chair facing his dog Spice. Possibly others were cut when Scott visited Edinburgh but this is not certain. What is certain is that Edouart did many copies of each pose. It is also clear from Lot 26 at the Bonham's Sale on 25th, June this year, which was a silhouette of Scott at his desk -that there are at least three copies of this pose with a sepia hand-painted background. The three backgrounds are largely the same, but have slight differences or additions. The backgrounds also vary quite considerably in size, but Scott's figure remains the same size as to be expected.

EDOUART and Sir Walter SCOTT.

Above I have photocopied on the right Lot 26 from the Bonham Sale – this was signed and dated "Augn Edouart fecit 1830 from life". I think the last two words are odd and may have been added not by Edouart. The version on the left is owned by the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland and is illustrated in Arthur Mayne's Book. You will notice some slight differences in the placing of the objects and the actual objects. Not illustrated is the version owned by Abbottsford. This was bought by the Scott trustees about six years ago. Like the other two it is dated 1830 but in this case the signature is not obvious (hidden by the frame?). In the background it has an additional chest by the curtain with Scott's walking stick leaning against this. Scott was lame from childhood and always used a stick. In size the Bonham Sale picture is the smallest being 9¾" in height. The N.P.G. of Scotland's is 12¼" in height and Abbottsford is 14"" in height.

Other Edouart silhouettes of Scott illustrating this article are well-known. These have been extensively illustrated in silhouette literature and form part of the N.P.G. of Scotland's collection of Scott portraits.