David Roberts R.A. 1796-1864

'Roslin Chapel of all the buildings in the world, is one of the most remarkable. Setting the conventional and accepted rules of architecture at defiance by its bold and original beauty, and the exquisitely delicate and beautiful tracery of its ornamentation, it is a wonder and a joy to all'.

These words from The Scotsman of 9th May 1861, written over four hundred years after the commencement of the building of Rosslyn Chapel, accurately summarize the extraordinary reverence and awe with which it has been regarded throughout the centuries. Roberts had a particular affection for the chapel and this atmospheric picture is arguably the finest of several depictions of the subject by the artist. It captures effectively the powerful golden light of the setting sun which illuminated the building and which so inspired Sir Walter Scott in the The Lay of the Last Mistrel.

Rosslyn Chapel was built between 1446 and 1484 by Sir Walter St Clair, Prince of Orkney, whose ancestor had constructed the nearby Rosslyn Castle over one hundred years earlier. It appears that a castle was originally built at Rosslyn in the eleventh century but the present castle dates from the early fourteenth century, the earliest surviving part dating from 1304. Both the castle and the chapel are situated on high ground overlooking the River Esk and their situation is admirably described by the original Gaelic name Roskelyn, which means 'a hill in a glen'.Whilst the castle was destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions, the chapel miracuously escaped destruction. When the castle was besieged by Cromwellian troops in 1650, the chapel was used as a stable by the army and some of the carvings were destroyed in that period, but most of the interior survived. Work on the chapel appears to have ceased in 1484 on William St Clair's death by which time only the choir or the east end of the building had been completed, the transept existing only as an external wall. One of the most attractive features of the chapel is the extraordinary richness of the carving - the ceiling, the capitals, the architraves are all embellished with intricate carvings representing passages of holy writ, flowers and leaves, and a particularly striking feature is the large number of grotesque figures. At the south east of the Chapel, and central to the present picture, is the celebrated Apprentice Pillar, an astonishing piece of carving with spirals of foliage wrapping itself around the column like ivy clinging to a tree. According to legend the master-mason put in charge of this intricate carving was unable to execute it, and during his absence in Rome to study a similar example his apprentice undertook the task successfully. On his return the master-mason, overwhelmed by a jealous rage, killed the apprentice with the blow of his hammer. This legend is one of several which have attached themselves to Rosslyn Chapel and contributed to its reputation as a mysterious and magical place. Another fable, developed by Sir Walter Scott in The Lay of the Last Mistrel, told how the Chapel appeared to burn the night before the death of a Lord of Rosslyn, some of whom were buried in the crypt. In Scott's words:

'Seem'd all on fire within, around
Deep sacristy and altars pale;
Shone every pillar foliage bound,
And glimmer'd all the dead men's mail'

This apparently supernatural effect can in fact be explained by the position of the chapel on the side of a hill with nothing to block the rays of the setting sun piercing through its windows. This golden light is effectively captured by Roberts in the present painting.

In view of its colourful history and the excellence of its construction, it is not surprising that Rosslyn Chapel inspired a number of artists. The earliest depictions such as an engraving of 1693 by Captain John Slezer (for Theatrum Scotiae) and watercolours of 1761 by William Delacour, concentrated on a meticulous delineation of the achitecture of the Chapel, In 1806 Joseph Michael Gandy came north to work on a comprehensive survey of the building, and he recorded in meticulous detail the intricacy of the interior. He exhibited a large watercolour at the Royal Academy in 1809 which depicted a corner of the Choir and Lady Chapel, with the Apprentice Pillar prominent in the centre and the stairs to the crypt to the right. This picture, now only known from a copy by George Shepherd, may have inspired Roberts. Gandy also contributed fifteen plates of Rosslyn Chapel to John Briton's The Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain of 1812 in which much emphasis is placed on the various legends attached to the chapel. John Ruskin was another great admirer of the chapel and produced two fine drawings of the interior in 1828, and two years later William Dyce painted an atmospheric picture of the south aisle from a similar viewpoint to that chosen by Roberts for the present painting.

Roberts was born near Edinburgh not far from Rosslyn, and his early training was with a house-painter in Edinburgh. Though he moved to London when a young man in his mid twenties, Roberts retained a special affection for Scotland and enjoyed painting Scottish subjects. In later life he became an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy, and was awarded the freedom of the city of Edinburgh. He always held a particular fascination for Rosslyn, and his earliest depiction of the chapel dates from early in his career in 1827. Through his early interest in the theatre and scene-painting, Roberts would have known Daguerre's celebrated diorama of Rosslyn Chapel, exhibited in Paris in 1824 and in London in 1826, and it has been suggested that the young artist was commissioned to do copies to be used when the diorama went on tour. He returned to the subject in the 1840's, and his recorded visit to the chapel in 1842 produced two studies in oil. As Roberts wrote:
'One I think will make a glorious subject, it is looking down the Stair that leades to what is called the confessional ... There is a combination of light & Shade I have never met with in any subject, colour and richness of detail peculiar to itself; the prentice pillar forms a conspicuous object ... but in doing it The cold is insuferable ... so bad I am obliged to leave off today at 3 ... besides which I am pestered with Visitors who not only know me by name, but all my works...'

This first study was entitled 'Descent to the Crypt, Rosslyn Chapel' and was bought by Mr Knott. Though its format is horizontal, its composition is close to that of the present picture.

Roberts chose the picture as his single exhibit at the British Institution in 1844. His daughter, Christine Bicknell mentioned the picture in her journal entry for 6th February 1844: 'Went to town... lunched with my Father & met Henry [her husband at] the Institution... My Father's little Roslyn looked quite sober and true to nature. I hear that Prince Albert admired it & asked its price & if sold'. Roberts corresponded early the next year about the picture with the celebrated photographer David Octavius Hill who was Secretary of the Royal Scottish Academy. He wrote on 6th January: 'I regret I have no picture to send to you and yet there is one I could almost wish to be exhibited as it might in some measure direct public attention to the object itself, which has latterly been a little overlooked - I mean Roslin Chapel, an Interior, but which is in the possession of Mr Feilden of Blackburn Lancashire who I fear might not wish to part with it...'. Hill responded two days later: 'if Mr Feilden spares The Chapel - we will most gladly have it ... - and as you say a good sermon can be preached on The Roslin improvements, from the text furnished on The Picture'. He later wrote again offering to cover all costs of transportation. After several requests Feilden finally agreed to lend it. Hill's enthusiasm for Rosslyn was also reflected in his own photographic work and he did some of his finest early work there (see Angelo Maggi, 'The Unmaking of Pictorial Beauty: David Roberts and the Restoration Controversy', essay in the catalogue for the Rosslyn exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland, 2000, pp. 57-59, plates 67 and 68).

The artist's return to the subject of Rosslyn Chapel in 1842 coincided with the first of several outbursts from him concerning restoration work being done in connection with the building. These culminated in January 1846 when Roberts attended a lecture at the R.I.B.A. in London by John Britton and the architect William Burn. Roberts's love of Rosslyn Chapel stemmed partly from his early training as house painter which led him to appreciate the fine quality of the interior decoration and partly from his enthusiasm for architecture for which he had considerable talent. But he also loved Scottish myth and legend and venerated Sir Walter Scott, and not only did Burns offend him with his improvements and alterations, but he also dared to question some of the legend attached to the chapel. A fierce debate ensued.

In this great depiction of the interior of Rosslyn Chapel, Roberts has certainly captured the remarkable 'combination of light and shade' about which he had written in 1842. Not only does the strong setting sun produce a fine romantic glow to the whole composition, but Roberts has drawn our attention to the mysterious crypt also lit by a strong light of its own. His interest over many years in architecture leads him to depict with obvious enjoyment the intricacies of carving for which Rosslyn was so celebrated, focussing particluarly on the celebrated Apprentice Pillar. The whole composition is enhanced by the lively group of figures apparently unaware of the potent myths and legends attached to the chapel.

We are grateful to Krystyna Matyjaszkiewicz for her assistance in cataloging this painting.