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James
Skene was an amateur painter, born in Aberdeen in 1785. He
became a friend of Sir Walter Scott. Both were advocates at
Parliament House, Edinburgh. Together, they planned to portray the
changing face of Edinburgh in a publication to be called Reekiana, but Sir
Walter Scott hit financial problems in 1826. [Notes
accompanying Skene's paintings in Edinburgh City Library]
Skene
produced many attractive watercolour paintings of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh City Library has a collection of 207 Skene paintings, covering
the period 1817-37.
Many
depict scenes that were recorded through the cameras of Burns, Inglis,
Begbie and others, later in the century. I hope, later to include a
few of Scene's paintings on this site. Views painted by James Scene
include:
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Edinburgh Old Town from Princes Street
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St Giles Cathedral
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The Grassmarket
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St John's Chapel
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Holyroodhouse |