Collections

The Golfers

Printer: Wilding, WPrintmaker: Wagstaffe, Charles Eden · 1798-1850Publisher: Hill, Alexander · 1800-1866Primary artist: Lees, Charles, RSA · 1800-1880

The Golfers

Lees is known to have been working on the painting by at least 1846, and may have been inspired in part by a Hill and Adamson calotype of a group of…

Lees is known to have been working on the painting by at least 1846, and may have been inspired in part by a Hill and Adamson calotype of a group of golfers and caddies watching Hugh Lyon Playfair take a putt at St Andrews (the earliest photographic record of golf at St Andrews, c.1845). Alexander Hill in 1833 and again in 1842 had published a series of poems by George Fullerton Carnegie in which verbal sketches of contemporary golfers featured. Of the fifty-two identificable figures in Lees' painting, no fewer than 20 of them appear in Carnegie's verses.

The print was declared to the printsellers Assocaition on 1850-10-01, with fifty artist's proofs each being sold at ten guineas; twenty presentation copies with no price indicated; one hundred proofs at six guineas; and an unspecified number of ordinary prints each selling at 3 guineas.

Hill purchased Lees' original oil painting for £400 with a view to having it engraved (and may actually have commissioned Lees to paint it) and lent the picture to the RSA Annual Exhibition in 1851 (cat.29), where it was titled simply as 'The Golfers', the catalogue carrying a lengthy description followed by a numerical list (reading from left to right) of fifty-two named individuals. The catalogue text reads; "The Game is being played by Sir David Baird and Sir Ralph Anstruther, against Major Playfair and John Campbell, Esq, of Glensaddel. The Ball nearest the hole has been played by Sir David Baird, with the cleek, out of the long grass and heather on the left of the Picture. The stroke, always a difficult one in such circumstances, has been dexterously and well played, for the Ball has run over the top of the hole, and lain close at the side. The other Ball is supposed to be in the act of running straight for the hole, the putt having just been made by Major Playfair. The gaining of this hole being an object of interest at this crisis of the Match, is the point of time, chosen by the Artist as the subject of the Picture.

The scene is laid at St Andrews, where, during the week when the Great Annual Meeting is held, numbers of gentlemen from all parts of the country assemble to enjoy this favourite pastime. The Links on these ocassions, throughout their whole length, which is about two miles, present a most animated appearance. The numerous groups of players scattered over the Green, attended by crowds of spectators, and accompanied often by parties of ladies in their gay costumes - the beautiful country around - the sea - the ancient and venerable cit yof St Andrews, with all its picturesque and noble ruins, all combine in presenting a coup d'oeil of the most joyous and pleasing description."