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A Grandfather's Lesson

Artist: Gordon, John Watson, Sir, PPRSA RA RSA · 1788-1864

A Grandfather's Lesson

The painting appears to have been initially entitled 'Instruction' and was subsequently known as 'A Grandfather's Lesson'. In 2019-11, the RSA…

The painting appears to have been initially entitled 'Instruction' and was subsequently known as 'A Grandfather's Lesson'.

In 2019-11, the RSA Collections Curator was contacted by the NGS who had received an enquiry from a private collector concerning a small oil on panel painting in his possession, which shows the same composition and is probably the original study for the Academy's Diploma work. The private collector's picture however bears a contemporary hand written label in ink pasted to the verso, centre of the panel which states "Sir Walter Scott and his Grandchild/ (Study from Life)/ Sir J Watson Gordon PRSA."

Below this is pasted what appears to be an extract from a printed exhibition catalogue of probably late 19th/early 20th century date,; "110 Sir J Watson Gordon PRSA/ Sir Walter Scott and His grandchild/ Study from Life 8 x 10". This may relate to the final label pasted top the verso of the work at the top centre. This is a printed label (partly torn at top right) for the Glasgow East-End Industrial Exhibition of 1903-04 where the work was exhibited as being Sir Walter Scott and his Grandchild by Sir J Watson Gordon, lent by Sir William Arrol. [see electronic artist's file in I Drive RSA Members Notes, for copy]

Watson Gordon is known to have executed a number of portraits of Sir Walter Scott, between 1820 and the author's death in 1832. An article on Watson Gordon in the Art Journal, 1850, p.373 records that; " Through his father's family, Sir John was related to Sir Walter Scott; his grandmother being cousin-german to Sir Walter's mother."

However, a check conducted by the RSA Documentation Officer, concluded that the hand written label is not in the hand of Sir John Watson Gordon PPRSA. There is also no reference to this study featuring in the 1871 Scott Centenary Exhibition held in Edinburgh, and compiled largely by Professor David Laing (copy of catalogue in RSA Library), and nor do any of Watson Gordon's exhibits (at Society of Edinburgh Artists, RSA, RA) record this study. A check too of the catalogue for the Scottish National Exhibition of Portraits held in Edinburgh in 1884 also drew a blank.

It seems highly unlikely therefore that it is Sir Walter Scott who is featured, and the accepted identity of the sitter of the grandfather in the Diploma work being Sir John's naval father Post-Captain James Watson RN, with whom incidentally he lived, would appear to be upheld. Given that the smaller picture appears to be a study for the Academy's Diploma work, it therefore follows that the sitter there is not Sir Walter, albeit that there is a slight passing resemblance, but Post-Captain James Watson RN.