Sanquhar with Crighton Peel

DESCRIPTION: Sanquhar with Crichton Peel is a well-known Victorian landscape engraving drawn by David Octavius Hill (R.S.A.) and engraved by Robert Sands. Published by Blackie & Son in Glasgow, this print was featured in The Land of Burns (1840), a celebrated collection showcasing landscapes, places, and portraits central to the life and poetry of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns. During the late 1780s, Burns was a regular visitor to Sanquhar, frequently passing through while traveling between his farm at Ellisland and his family home in Ayrshire. He later became a highly familiar face in the town while carrying out his official duties as a local excise officer. Burns affectionately nicknamed the town "Black Joan" in his political ballad The Five Carlins, and he often stayed at the local hostelry run by Edward Whigham, where he etched verses directly onto the windowpanes with a diamond ring! The prominent ruins visible on the left side are Sanquhar Castle, historically referred to as Crichton Peel, which served as the medieval stronghold of the Crichton family. The foreground intricately illustrates traditional 19th-century agricultural labourers at harvest. STYLE: Engraving COLOUR: Monochrome SIZE (cm; mount board typically a few mm larger): 20.25 x 15.25 CREATORS: R Sands after D O Hill RSA PUBLICATION: 'The Land of Burns - A series of Landscapes and Portraits, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of the Scottish Poet' PUBLISHER: Glasgow: Blackie and Son DATE: c1840s COMMENTS: Excellent condition, bright image, patina (some heavy) of antiquity on surround SUBJECT: Places;Burns PACKAGE: Single one-sided sheet in acid-free mount, flat & unfolded inside hard-backed envelope. Royal Mail Tracked 24 included. Note: Images are provided for illustration purposes only and are intended to show the complete printed product, including any imperfections of age that may be present. Frames or props shown in the images are for display purposes only and are not included with your purchase.