Engraving of Queen Victoria reading Bible to sick fisherman Wellcome L0072274

The grave of Gourlay Steell, Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh

Gourlay Steell RSA (1819–1894) was a 19th-century Scottish artist.

Life

Gourlay was born at 20 Calton Hill in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

on 22 March 1819 the son of John Steell, a wood-carver and Margaret Gourlay of Dundee. His elder brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

was a sculptor of national standing. He studied under William Allan and

Robert Scott Lauder Robert Scott Lauder (25 June 1803 – 21 April 1869) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a "historical painter". He was one of the original members of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Lauder was born at Silvermills, Ed ...

. Aged only 13 he had his first piece displayed at the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

, a model of a greyhound, and in 1835 he displayed a full-size sculpture of a bloodhound. From that year until death he exhibited almost continually. By the 1840s he had established himself and was living in a fine house at 33 East Claremont Street in Edinburgh's New Town. In 1872 he was appointed the official painter of animals to Queen Victoria, succeeding

Sir Edwin Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...

. In 1882 he replaced Sir

William Fettes Douglas Sir William Fettes Douglas (1822–1891) was a Scottish painter and art connoisseur, rising to be President of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life He was born on 12 March 1822 at 26 Rankeillor Street in Edinburgh's South Side, the eldest son o ...

as Curator of the

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by Wi ...

. At this time he was living with his family at 4 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End. In 1882 he succeeded

as Principal Curator of the National Gallery of Scotland, serving until death, and eventually after an inter-regnum being replaced by

Robert Gibb Robert Gibb RSA (28 October 1845 – 11 February 1932) was a Scottish painter who was Keeper of the National Gallery of Scotland from 1895 to 1907 and was Painter and Limner to the King from 1908 until his death. He built his reputation on ...

. He died on 31 January 1894 at 23 Minto Street,

and was buried in

Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh Morningside Cemetery is a cemetery in south Edinburgh. It was established in 1878 by the Metropolitan Cemetery Company, originally just outwith the then city boundary, the nearest suburb then being Morningside. It extends to just over 13 ac ...

with his wife Jessie Anderson who had died in 1883. The exceptionally modest gravestone has fallen, and lies forlornly in the westmost section of the cemetery, adjacent to modern housing developments. His son, David George Steell ARSA followed in his footsteps and became an animal artist.

Works

see *

Greyfriars Bobby Greyfriars Bobby (4 May 1855 – 14 January 1872) was a Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died on 14 January 1872. The story continu ...

(1889) purchased by

Patrick Dudgeon Patrick Dudgeon of Cargen FRSE DL (1817–1895) was a British landowner, mineralogist and meteorologist. He was co-founder with Matthew Forster Heddle of the Mineralogical Society in Great Britain in 1876. He had a specialist interest in mine ...

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

*The Shooting Party, Royal Armouries Museum,

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

*Deerstalking on Jura,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Museums *A Challenge,

Museums (two Highland cattle fighting) *The Trysting Place,

Museums (three dogs) *A Highland Parting,

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Art Gallery and Museum (sheep and Highland cattle at a river) *John Hay Esq of Letham Grange, Angus Council *Old Pets of Haddo,

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

(ponies)

References

* Dictionary of National Biography: Steell

External links

*http://www.avictorian.com/Steell_Gourlay.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Steell, Gourlay 1819 births 1894 deaths Scottish artists Royal Scottish Academicians artists from Edinburgh Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art