Footnotes

Provenance
Likely commissioned from the artist by John Campbell, Lord Stonefield (1720-1801); thence by descent to the present owners.

Exhibited
Edinburgh, The Talbot Rice Art Centre, Painting in Scotland: The Golden Age, 8 - 31 August, cat. nos. 136-139; and travelling to London, The Tate Gallery, 15 October - 4 January.

Literature
D. Macmillan, Painting in Scotland: The Golden Age, Oxford, 1986, pp. 144-145 and two illustrated pl. 32 and 33.

It is believed that the present works were commissioned by John Campbell, Lord Stonefield (1720-1801), to be hung in his family residence of Stonefield House (since developed and renamed Stonefield Castle) north of Tarbert on the shores of Loch Fyne. Campbell was a lawyer, judge and Senator of the Court of Justice, and it is perhaps his work in Edinburgh that brought him in to contact with the artist, Alexander Nasmyth. As a patron of the arts, we know that Campbell had commissioned Allan Ramsay to paint a portrait of him in 1749, and this too could explain the connection with Nasmyth.

Nasmyth was born in Edinburgh in 1758. His father was an architect and builder, and whilst at school he studied arithmetic and geometry in preparation for a career in the family business. He was however drawn to life as an artist, and while working with James Cummyng, a tradesman-house painter, his talent was spotted by Allan Ramsay, principal painter in ordinary to George III. Ramsay persuaded Cummyng to release his apprentice and the young Nasmyth journeyed south to London where he began work in Ramsay's studio.

By this time, Ramsay had in fact already completed his portrait commission of John Campbell, Lord Stonefield, in 1749, at which point the sitter was a young man of 29 years. It would be at least another 45 years since this painting before Campbell was to commission Nasmyth to complete his own views around Stonefield House.

Following in the footsteps of his master, towards the end of 1778, the young Nasmyth returned to Edinburgh and began his practice as a portrait painter. He gradually evolved a style of his own, placing the sitters within a landscape. However, over time, the backgrounds became as important as the sitters and his skill in landscape painting began to be realised.

In common with many of his contemporaries, in 1782, Nasmyth left Scotland to continue his studies abroad. He arrived in Rome in April 1783 and began an extensive journey through Italy visiting the Bay of Naples, Bolsena, Ancona and Tivoli. He returned to Edinburgh at the end of 1784 and continued his practice as a portrait and landscape painter. His landscapes, principally influenced by Claude Lorrain and Ruisdael, had become tranquil, finely detailed and romantic.

This talent in paint is clearly on display in the present views, which through their significant exhibition history, have been lauded as some of the most significant works painted by Alexander Nasmyth, marking a clear departure from a classical aesthetic in Scottish landscape painting towards a more naturalist and romantic style. We can see here the influence of his travels in Italy and love for Lorrain, as he infuses the canvases with a soft and warm glow. However, we can also see the influence of a romantic school of painting which had been developing in Scotland, perhaps most clearly seen in the portrait paintings of Sir Henry Raeburn.

Intriguingly, unlike equivalent stately home portraits or commissions, the house is not included in any of the views shown. Instead, the artist has focussed solely on capturing the most striking views of the land and waters in the immediate vicinity of the property. Given the age of Campbell when he would have commissioned the works, one does wonder if he had this sentimental vision in mind. Or perhaps these were to be seen as a parting gift to his family, as a reminder of the beauty of their home and his wish for them to never forget it.

Upon his death in 1801, Lord Stonefield's son, also John Campbell, took over the estate when only 13 years old. Under the young Campbell, the estate was to be completely redeveloped with a new mansion house designed by Edinburgh architect William Henry Playfair completed in 1837. Since then, the house has become a hotel, however the splendour of the Stonefield residence and grounds is still very much apparent.