MONARCHS OF THE GLEN

A new exhibition at Dovecot Studios ‘Monarchs of the Glen’, opening on the 14 October 2023, explores how one of the most celebrated images of Victorian Scotland has been constantly reinvented for over a hundred and seventy years and continues to inspire contemporary artists to this day.

Sir Edwin Landseer’s (1802–1873) most famous work ‘The Monarch of the Glen’ (1851), a painting of a majestic twelve-point stag, was one of the most iconic depictions of Scotland in its time and has continually been adapted for use in the worlds of commerce, culture and even politics. The exhibition celebrates the many ways this classic image of Highland spirit has been inspirational in a diverse range of products and popular culture from bevvy to Bambi, shortbread to Schitt’s Creek and beyond.


Image: Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, The Monarch of the Glen, c.1849-51, Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Landseer’s death, Dovecot’s world-renowned tapestry studio in Edinburgh will explore images derived from this romantic image of the Highlands with the studio’s own interpretation ‘After, After, After Monarch of the Glen’ as the centerpiece of the exhibition.

The display is presented in four sections. Firstly ‘Landseer and the Monarch’ introduces the life and career of the Victorian artist and how reproducing the Monarch image was always a key to its story. Visitors will learn about how the painting was initially commissioned and its journey through private collections, before being secured for public ownership in 2017.


Image: Dewar's Whisky, Chronicle. Alamy Stock Photo.

The second section, ‘The Monarch’s Many Lives’, explores how popular recognition of the painting has inspired continuous commercial and artistic reinventions as well as its use in film and television. These include the works of Compton Mackenzie, Ronald Searle, John McGrath, Ross Sinclair and Julian Calder.


Image: After After After Monarch of the Glen. Image above: Bambi (1942), Everett Collection Inc. Alamy Stock Photo.

Dovecot’s post-modern tapestry is the focus of the third section. ‘After, After, After Monarch of the Glen’, Commissioned in 2012 in collaboration with art director and graphic designer Peter Saville, and Paul Stolper Gallery, the tapestry is Dovecot’s representation of the iconic painting. This section considers how Landseer’s work ultimately inspired the Dovecot tapestry, using Peter Saville’s evocative print of 2002.

The final section highlights more recent attitudes to the rural landscape in Scotland, and the complex and evolving perception of deer like the Monarch, which is far removed from Landseer’s romantic vision.

Monarchs of the Glen will be on display at Dovecot Studios from Saturday 14 October 2023 – Saturday 2 March 2024.

Find out more:
dovecotstudios.com