Oil paint on silk mounted on mahogany
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Robert Vernon
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-david-wilkie-600" aria-label="More by Sir David Wilkie" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Sir David Wilkie</a>
BagPiper
Presented by Robert Vernon 1847
adults
arts and entertainment
fine arts and music
instrument, bagpipes
leisure and pastimes
man
music
music and entertainment
musician
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<p>David Wilkie had already made his name in the London art world when he painted this small picture. It shows a bagpiper seemingly lost in thought, his fingers poised to play. One early biographer claimed this subject had been in Wilkie’s mind since boyhood and includes the old kirk (church) of his hometown, Cults, in the distance. While this is debatable, the explicitly Scottish subject is unusual in Wilkie’s work at this time. He exhibited this painting at the British Institution in 1813. While this may reflect his hope to raise the status of Scottish art, <span>The Bag-Piper</span> also appealed to a romanticised image of Scotland.</p><p><em>Gallery label, February 2024</em></p>
painting oil paint silk mounted mahogany
26 July 2004 – 27 June 2005
2005-06-27
26 July 2004 – 27 June 2005
2005-06-27
2004-07-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2004-07-26
Art and National Identity
Collection based display
11 November 2010 – 3 April 2011
2011-04-03
11 November 2010 – 3 April 2011
2011-04-03
2010-11-11
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2010-11-11
Blake and Physiognomy
Collection based display
26 September 2022
26 September 2022
2022-09-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-09-26
Gallery 15
Collection based display
The Bag-Piper
support: 254 × 200 mm
Presented by <a href="/search?gid=999999978" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Robert Vernon</a> 1847
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<p>David Wilkie had already made his name in the London art world when he painted this small picture. It shows a bagpiper seemingly lost in thought, his fingers poised to play. One early biographer claimed this subject had been in Wilkie’s mind since boyhood and includes the old kirk (church) of his hometown, Cults, in the distance. While this is debatable, the explicitly Scottish subject is unusual in Wilkie’s work at this time. He exhibited this painting at the British Institution in 1813. While this may reflect his hope to raise the status of Scottish art, <i>The Bag-Piper</i> also appealed to a romanticised image of Scotland. </p>
</div>

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2024-02-27T00:00:00
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adults arts and entertainment fine arts and music instrument, bagpipes leisure and pastimes man music music and entertainment musician objects people work and occupations