Artwork

Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel

Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel, by Richard Parkes Bonington, 1826
Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel, by Richard Parkes Bonington, 1826

Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel is a print by the Romanticist artist Richard Parkes Bonington. It dates from 1826 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created in 1826, *Edinburgh from St.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1826, *Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel* is a print by the English Romantic landscape artist Richard Parkes Bonington. The image presents a distant view of Edinburgh framed by rolling hills and mountains, with a few towers and buildings emerging from the skyline. In the foreground, trees, rocks, and scattered figures lend a sense of scale and quiet activity to the composition.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes a tranquil natural setting with the faint outline of an urban center, suggesting a harmonious relationship between the city and its surrounding landscape. The modest presence of people and animals in the lower register reinforces a feeling of peaceful coexistence, while the distant city serves as a focal point that draws the eye deeper into the scene.

Technique & Style

Bonington employs a soft palette and delicate brushwork characteristic of Romantic landscape art, emphasizing atmospheric light and gentle tonal transitions. Though executed as a print, the image retains the fluidity of his painted works, blending precise draftsmanship reminiscent of earlier masters with a more spontaneous, expressive handling of form and space.

History & Provenance

The print was produced during Bonington’s productive period in France, a time when he was gaining recognition for his luminous depictions of scenery. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of 19th‑century European prints.

Context

Bonington’s career bridged the English and French art worlds, and his approach to light and atmosphere anticipated later developments in British landscape painting. *Edinburgh from St. Anthony Chapel* reflects the Romantic fascination with sublime vistas and the growing interest in depicting specific locales within an idealized natural framework.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Richard Parkes Bonington

Artist

Richard Parkes Bonington

Richard Parkes Bonington (25 October 1802 – 23 September 1828) was an English Romantic landscape painter.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.