A child prodigy who exhibited at the Royal Academy when he was just 13
years old, Landseer grew up to be a close friend of Charles
Dickens and become the Queen's favourite painter.
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The year 1824 was a landmark year in his life, as he visited Scotland
for the first time. Originally the trip was planned so as to visit Walter
Scott. However they did not inform Scott of the trip and he wasn't
in when they arrived at Abbotsford.
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Consequently they set off for Glasgow and took in the Trossachs on the
way, including Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine, finishing in Balquidder and
Loch Earn. The tour was a revelation to Landseer. The scenery made a deep
and lasting impression on him and he stopped frequently between venues
to make little sketches.
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Landseer's painting Monarch of the Glen came to be known
as the most popular and most recognised picture of the mid-19th century.
It reflects the quintessential Victorian mood. The haughty authority of
this great stag standing on the summit of a Highland mountain commanding
all it sees below and behind is a magnificent sight for many. It is the
most sentimental Highland vision ever painted.
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Landseer's rise to fame was meteoric, much of his best work being completed
by the time he was 30. In 1824 he was elected an associate of the Royal
Academy at the tender age of 24. Aged 29 he was elected as a Fellow of
the Royal Academy. But he died disillusioned and an alcoholic.
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