A kingdom united: Images of political and cultural union in Ireland and Scotland, c.1800

This dissertation is about the relationship between the visual arts and the growing concept of political and cultural integration within the British Isles c.1800. In the years before and after the establishment of an enlarged United Kingdom, unity as manifested in the art of the period moved from homage to the center towards a recognition of cultural differences. It will be shown that in the representation of both Scotland and Ireland, the reactionary forces of government or the landed elite consistently resorted to the out-dated formulae of the power-style of the Baroque or the depiction of military heroes to promote their point of view.; The discussion begins with a definition of the art of union as it emerged in the context of the relationship between the Celtic Fringe and London as the metropolitan center, during the period. It moves on to examine the relationship between Dublin and Edinburgh in terms of art production, artists' training, awareness of international trends and the isolation felt by artists working outside the metropolis. In the examination of specific paintings, the move towards cultural integration will be made clear. Those works include Francis Wheatley's Volunteers of 1779-80, Vincent Waldre's Ceiling at Dublin Castle, c.1780-c.1801, Henry Raeburn's portraits of Highland chieftains, and works by David Wilkie such as The Entry of George IV into Holyrood Palace, 1822-30, The Peep-O-Day Boy's Cabin, 1835-36 and Sir David Baird discovering the Body of Tippoo Saib, 1835-38.; It is concluded that in many of the works discussed regional ethos was lessened in favor of a more palatable universal image. Frequently defined in passive terms, the Celtic Fringe was thus not in a position to create a political or cultural threat to the center.