Interior, principal floor, dining-room, view of fireplace with carved wooden panel above. Digital image of D 41631/cn

Description Interior, principal floor, dining-room, view of fireplace with carved wooden panel above. Digital image of D 41631/cn

Date 16/11/1998

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 764683

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 41631 CN

Scope and Content West Chimneypiece in Dining Room, Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries & Galloway The dining room, remodelled c.1840, is lined with 17th-century oak panelling, and has a fine Jacobean-style panelled plasterwork ceiling which dates from the time of the conversion. This chimneypiece, one of two identical fireplaces in the room, is set at the west end of the north wall. The overmantel has richly carved cascades of fruit, leaves, flowers and dead birds which date from the late 17th century and are thought to be by the English wood-carver, Grinling Gibbons, or one of his school. On either side of the panel are elaborate silver candle scones, made in 1691 by Arthur Manwaring. They date from the reign of William and Mary, and bear the queen's cypher and crown. To the right is a diagonal barometer dating from the reign of King George III. The carvings above the fireplace are thought to have come from another room in the house, and reused in this present position some time after the remodelling the room. They echo the style of Grinling Gibbons (1648-1720), who had an extraordinary talent in woodworking and evolved his own distinct style of carving. His trademarks were cascades of fruit, foliage, fish and birds, symbols of the abundance of food and fruits of the earth, which could be applied to panelling, furniture, walls or even chimneys. Gibbons enjoyed the patronage of wealthy landowners, and received commissions from royalty including William III and George I. Much of his work survives in country houses. Drumlanrig Castle, one of the great Renaissance courtyard houses of Scottish domestic architecture, was built between 1679 and 1690 for William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, on the site of a late 14th-century Douglas stronghold. The castle passed to the Dukes of Buccleuch in 1810, and is now the home of the 9th Duke (11th Duke of Queensberry). It houses many great family treasures and important works of art, including magnificent carvings and a fine collection of paintings. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/764683

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap