Bede finishes his Works and Life (One of a series of eight oil paintings illustrating the history of the English Border)
William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 - Penkill Castle 1890)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1857 (signed and dated)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1854 x 1854 mm (73 x 73 in)
Place of origin
Wallington
Order this imageCollection
Wallington, Northumberland
NT 584368
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Bede finishes his Works and Life, by William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 - Penkill Castle 1890), signed and dated, on lectern: W B Scott June to Dec 1857, and again, on base of shelves at left: W.B. Scott. The dying saint is represented on the floor of his cell, his head supported by the affectionate younger monks as he continues to dictate his translation of the Gospel of St John. In the background the monks assemble in the church to say the prayer for the passing sole. One of a series of eight oil paintings illustrating the history of the English Border painted between 1856 and 1861.
Provenance
William Bell Scott was commissioned in 1855 by Sir Walter Trevelyan to decorate the courtyard at Wallington; began in 1857 and the series was exhibited at regular intervals at the Literary Society in Newcastle and completed in 1861 - the scheme of decoration was finished in 1863/64 when the spandrels high up near the vault were decorated with a progression of eighteen scenes from the Ballad of Chevy Chase, and the lower pilasters painted with local flora by other artists including Ruskin, Arthur Hughes, Lady Trevelyan, as well as the portrait medallions, in the lower spandrels and portrait heads.
Credit line
Wallington, The Trevelyan Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
W B Scott Jan to June 1857 (signed and dated)
Makers and roles
William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 - Penkill Castle 1890), artist