The 19th century witnessed a flourishing of artistic talent across Great Britain, with Scotland contributing a distinctive voice to the chorus of Victorian art. Among the notable figures of this era was Gourlay Steell (1819-1894), an artist whose dedication to the depiction of animals, particularly those beloved in the Scottish Highlands and by the Royal Family, carved him a significant niche in the annals of British art. His career, spanning much of Queen Victoria's reign, reflects both the prevailing artistic tastes of the time and a personal passion for the animal kingdom, rendered with meticulous detail and sympathetic understanding.
Early Life and Artistic Foundations in Edinburgh
Born in Edinburgh in 1819, Gourlay Steell was immersed in an artistic environment from a young age. His father, John Steell, was a respected engraver, and his elder brother, Sir John Steell (1804-1891), would go on to become one of Scotland's most celebrated sculptors, famously creating the iconic statue of Sir Walter Scott for the Scott Monument in Edinburgh and the equestrian statue of Prince Albert that stands in Charlotte Square. His mother was Margaret Gourlay, the daughter of a shipmaster from William Gould's shipyard, lending the artist his distinctive forename. This familial connection to the arts undoubtedly provided both inspiration and a supportive framework for young Gourlay's burgeoning talents.
Steell received a robust artistic education, a crucial element for any aspiring painter in the highly structured art world of the 19th century. He attended the prestigious Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh, officially known as the Board of Trustees for Manufactures in Scotland's School of Design. This institution was pivotal in training many of Scotland's finest artists. Here, he studied under the influential tutelage of Robert Scott Lauder (1803-1869), a master painter and an inspiring teacher who also mentored other prominent Scottish artists such as William McTaggart, the Faed brothers (Thomas, John, and James), and William Quiller Orchardson. Lauder's emphasis on strong draughtsmanship and expressive composition would have left a lasting mark on Steell's developing style.
His precocious talent was evident early on. At the remarkably young age of thirteen, Gourlay Steell began exhibiting his work at the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), a testament to his skill and ambition. This early exposure to the professional art scene in Edinburgh set the stage for a long and productive career.
The Rise of an Animalier: Specialization and Royal Recognition
While capable in various genres, Gourlay Steell quickly became renowned for his exceptional ability in animal painting. This specialization, known as an "animalier," was a respected, if sometimes considered secondary, field within the academic art hierarchy of the time. However, in an era deeply connected to rural life, sport, and the burgeoning sentimental attachment to domestic pets, skilled animal painters found considerable patronage. Steell's particular forte became the depiction of dogs, especially those breeds associated with Scottish life and sport, such as terriers, deerhounds, and collies. His canine portraits were celebrated for their lifelike accuracy, capturing not just the physical attributes but also the perceived character and spirit of his subjects.
His reputation grew steadily, and his work was increasingly sought after by landowners, sportsmen, and animal enthusiasts. The ultimate accolade for an animal painter in Britain during this period was, of course, royal patronage. Steell achieved this distinction, becoming a favored artist of Queen Victoria. The Queen, a passionate animal lover herself, and with a deep affection for Scotland and her Balmoral estate, frequently commissioned portraits of her beloved pets and scenes of Highland life. In 1873, Gourlay Steell was officially appointed "Animal Painter to Her Majesty for Scotland," a prestigious title that solidified his standing and provided him with numerous important commissions. This role mirrored, to some extent, the position held in England by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), the preeminent animal painter of the Victorian era, whose dramatic and often anthropomorphic depictions of animals had captivated the public and the Queen. While Landseer's shadow loomed large, Steell developed his own distinct, perhaps less overtly sentimentalized, yet equally skilled approach.
His work for the Queen often involved visits to Balmoral Castle, where he would paint her dogs, ponies, and scenes of deer stalking or other Highland pursuits. These royal commissions not only brought him fame but also ensured his work was seen by a wide and influential audience, further enhancing his career.
Notable Works and Artistic Style
Gourlay Steell's oeuvre is characterized by a commitment to naturalism and a keen observational skill. He rendered fur, feather, and hide with remarkable texture and accuracy, and his understanding of animal anatomy was profound. His compositions, while often traditional, effectively showcased his subjects in characteristic poses and environments.
Among his significant works, several stand out. Llewelyn and His Brave Hound Gelert (circa 1857) is a narrative painting that taps into a popular and poignant Welsh legend. The story of the faithful hound Gelert, wrongly slain by his master, was a subject that resonated with Victorian sentimentality and provided an opportunity for dramatic animal portrayal, a theme also explored by other artists of the period, such as Briton Rivière.
Gertrude, Blossom and Bob (1861) is another example of his skill in capturing the individual personalities of animals, likely a commissioned piece depicting specific pets. His ability to convey the textures of different dog coats and the alert expressions of his subjects is evident in such works. Similarly, Drumpelier Estate Pugs showcases his talent for portraying specific breeds with accuracy and charm, catering to the Victorian fondness for purebred dogs.
Paintings like Return from a Day’s Shooting, Glenochie Lodge, Perthshire demonstrate his ability to create more complex scenes involving multiple figures, both human and animal, set within a detailed landscape. These works often celebrated the sporting life of the Scottish gentry. Another notable piece, Peggy and the Gentle Shepherd – Ramsay’s Gentle Shepherd, draws inspiration from Scottish literature, specifically Allan Ramsay's pastoral poem, indicating Steell's engagement with broader cultural themes. These works were often collected by prominent individuals; for instance, Return from a Day’s Shooting was in the collection of David Ainslie of Costerton, and Peggy and the Gentle Shepherd was owned by the artist George Harvey (later Sir George Harvey, President of the RSA).
Steell's style can be described as detailed realism, with a romantic sensibility that idealized Scottish rural life and its animal inhabitants. He excelled in capturing the rugged beauty of Highland breeds, such as Highland cattle and Scottish deerhounds, often placing them in atmospheric landscapes that evoked the wildness and grandeur of Scotland. While his work was highly appreciated for its fidelity to nature, some later critics might have found it somewhat conventional, perhaps lacking the broader compositional ambition or decorative flair seen in the work of some of his contemporaries who were pushing artistic boundaries, like those associated with the Aesthetic Movement or early Impressionism. However, within his chosen field of animal portraiture and sporting scenes, his mastery was undeniable.
Thematic Concerns and Narrative Depth
While many of Gourlay Steell's works were straightforward portraits of animals, he also engaged with narrative themes, often imbued with the moral or sentimental undertones popular in Victorian art. The aforementioned Llewelyn and His Brave Hound Gelert is a prime example, appealing to the era's fascination with loyalty, tragedy, and the human-animal bond. Such narrative paintings allowed artists to elevate animal subjects beyond mere depiction, imbuing them with emotional weight and storytelling power.
The Victorian era saw an unprecedented rise in pet ownership and a growing public concern for animal welfare, partly fueled by the Queen's own example and the writings of figures like John Ruskin, who, despite his complex views, often wrote with sensitivity about the natural world. Artists like Steell and Landseer played a role in shaping and reflecting these evolving attitudes, presenting animals not just as beasts of burden or sport, but as creatures capable of emotion, loyalty, and deserving of human affection and respect. Steell's careful rendering of each animal's unique expression contributed to this personification, allowing viewers to connect with his subjects on an emotional level.
His depictions of Highland cattle and deer, often set against dramatic Scottish landscapes, also tapped into the romantic image of Scotland that had been popularized by writers like Sir Walter Scott and artists such as Horatio McCulloch, who specialized in grand Highland vistas. These scenes resonated with a sense of national pride and a nostalgia for a perceived wilder, more heroic past.
Context: The Victorian Art World in Scotland and Beyond
Gourlay Steell operated within a vibrant Scottish art scene centered around the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. The RSA, founded in 1826, was the premier institution for artists in Scotland, holding annual exhibitions that were major social and cultural events. Steell was a regular exhibitor and an active member of this community. His contemporaries in Scotland included landscape painters like Horatio McCulloch (1805-1867), whose dramatic depictions of the Highlands were immensely popular, and genre painters like the Faed brothers – Thomas Faed (1826-1900), John Faed (1819-1902), and James Faed (1821-1911) – who captured scenes of Scottish rural life with pathos and charm. Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), though of an earlier generation, had set a high standard for Scottish genre painting that continued to influence artists.
Later in Steell's career, figures like William McTaggart (1835-1910) began to introduce more impressionistic styles to Scottish painting, moving away from the tight, detailed finish that characterized much of Steell's work. However, the demand for traditional, realistic depictions, especially in portraiture and animal painting, remained strong throughout Steell's lifetime. Other Scottish artists who specialized in animal or sporting scenes, and with whom Steell might have been compared or seen as a peer, include Peter Graham (1836-1921), known for his Highland cattle in misty landscapes, and Joseph Farquharson (1846-1935), famous for his snow scenes often featuring sheep.
Beyond Scotland, the broader British art world was dominated by the Royal Academy in London. While Steell was primarily based in Scotland, his royal patronage ensured his work was known in wider circles. The field of animal painting in Britain had a rich heritage, dating back to artists like George Stubbs (1724-1806), whose anatomical studies and depictions of horses set a new standard for the genre. In Steell's own time, Sir Edwin Landseer was the undisputed king of animal painting in England, his works widely disseminated through engravings. In France, Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) achieved international fame for her powerful and realistic animal paintings, demonstrating the widespread appeal of the genre. Steell's contribution was to provide a distinctly Scottish focus within this broader tradition, celebrating the fauna and landscapes of his homeland.
While Steell’s work adhered to a more traditional representational style, it's important to remember the diversity of the Victorian art world. This was also the era of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with artists like John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Holman Hunt challenging academic conventions with their detailed symbolism and vibrant colours. Later, the Aesthetic Movement, championed by figures like James McNeill Whistler (though American, highly influential in Britain) and Frederic Leighton, emphasized "art for art's sake," focusing on beauty and decorative qualities over narrative or moral content. George Frederic Watts was another towering figure, known for his allegorical and symbolist paintings. Steell's art, with its focus on faithful representation and accessible subject matter, catered to a different, but equally valid, segment of Victorian taste.
Personal Life, Professional Spaces, and Later Career
Gourlay Steell maintained a professional presence in Edinburgh throughout his career. He resided and worked in various locations in the city, including Pitt Street and later at 33 East Claremont Street. His studio was for a time located at 90 George Street, and later at Merchiston Terrace, spaces dedicated to the meticulous creation of his animal portraits and narrative scenes. These addresses place him firmly within the artistic and professional quarters of 19th-century Edinburgh.
He continued to paint and exhibit throughout his life, maintaining his reputation as a leading animal painter. His dedication to his craft and his consistent output ensured his continued relevance in the Scottish art world. The accuracy of his name, "Gourlay Steell," is well-attested in numerous art historical records, including the Dictionary of National Biography and catalogues of the Royal Scottish Academy.
Gourlay Steell passed away in 1894, leaving behind a significant body of work that documents not only the animals he depicted but also the tastes and sensibilities of the Victorian era. His career demonstrates the possibilities for an artist specializing in a particular genre to achieve significant recognition and royal favor.
Legacy and Conclusion
Gourlay Steell's legacy is that of a highly skilled and respected animal painter who captured the heart of Victorian Scotland. His appointment as Animal Painter to Queen Victoria for Scotland underscores his preeminence in this field north of the border. While perhaps not an innovator in the mould of some of his more avant-garde contemporaries, his commitment to realism, his sympathetic portrayal of animals, and his ability to evoke the spirit of the Scottish Highlands ensured his popularity during his lifetime and a lasting place in the history of Scottish art.
His paintings remain valuable historical documents, offering insights into the breeds of animals favored in the 19th century, the sporting traditions of the era, and the deep connection between the British monarchy and the Scottish Highlands. Works by Gourlay Steell can be found in various public and private collections, and they continue to be appreciated for their technical skill and their charming depiction of the animal world. He stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of animal art and as a significant figure in the rich tapestry of 19th-century British painting, a dedicated chronicler of the creatures that roamed the Scottish landscape and graced the royal kennels. His name, Gourlay Steell, remains synonymous with a particular vision of Victorian animal portraiture, marked by fidelity, character, and a distinctly Scottish sensibility.
