The Pass of Achray
Alexander Nasmyth (Edinburgh 1758 – Edinburgh 1840)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1790 - 1840
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
711 x 902 mm (28 x 35½ in)
Place of origin
Scotland
Order this imageCollection
Goddards, North Yorkshire
NT 221366
Caption
The translucent light in Nasmyth’s landscapes of his native Scotland is distinguishable in this Highland scene. He originally trained as a portrait painter in Edinburgh and London, under Allan Ramsay. After an inspiring sojourn in Italy, he finally turned exclusively to nature in the 1790s. Seven of his children also became artists. Loch Achray is a small loch in Stirlinghsire, situated between Loch Katrine and Loch Venachar in the heart of the Trossachs – it attracted various artists, including Turner, keen to depict the magnificent scene of water, forests and mountains. The picture was probably owned by the learned scholar Reverend Cooper Abbs (1738 – 1800) and bequeathed to the Trust by his great, great grand-daughter of Mount Grace Priory, Northallerton. It is now on display in what was once the home of the chocolate manufacturer, Noel Goddard Terry.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, The Pass of Achray by Alexander Nasmyth (Edinburgh 1758 – Edinburgh 1840), 1790s. A wooded landscape scene with boats on a river. One of boats carries some passengers, a horse and a cart. On the right hand bank are two standing figures with a near an archway. Further right is a seated figure on the ground. Set into a giltwood frame with composition decoration, with a brass plate inscribed 'THE PASS OF ACHRAY'/'ALEXANDER NASMYTH 1758 - 1840'. Loch Achray is a small freshwater loch 11 km west of Callander in Stirling district, Scotland. It lies between Loch Katrine and Loch Venachar in the heart of the Trossachs. It is well known for its sheltered location, giving rise to placid waters offering magnificent reflections of the woodland to the south, the mountains and forests to the north and the majestic crags of Ben Venue to the west.
Provenance
Bequeathed by Kathleen (Kay) Elizabeth Mary Cooper Abbs (1901 - 1974)
Credit line
The Cooper Abbs Bequest (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
THE PASS OF ACHRAY/ALEXANDER NASMYTH 1758 - 1840 (engraved on brass plate on frame)
Makers and roles
Alexander Nasmyth (Edinburgh 1758 – Edinburgh 1840), artist