Historic painting of Edinburgh discovered in house clearance expected to fetch up to £8000 at auction
The painting created by renowned Scottish artist Robert Gemmell Hutchison, captures the historic 1905 Royal Volunteer Review in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, and will be auctioned this Friday
A painting depicting one of the largest events in Edinburgh's history has been discovered during a house clearance and is set to go under the hammer.
The artwork captures the 1905 Royal Volunteer Review, when thousands of Scottish soldiers gathered in Holyrood Park for an inspection by King Edward VII.
It was created by Scottish artist Robert Gemmell Hutchison, who was best known for his paintings of rural life, fisher folk and children playing by the sea.
The historic piece was discovered by a family clearing out their home in Ware, Hertfordshire, following the death of a family member.
The family found the painting among a collection of pictures and have now instructed Scarborough auctioneers to sell it.
Art expert Dominic Cox, Head of Art at David Duggleby, described the discovery as a “remarkable find”.
He said the 1905 Royal Review was the largest gathering of Scottish soldiers under arms seen at the time.
Around 40,000 volunteers from across Scotland crammed into Holyrood Park for the royal inspection, while an estimated quarter of a million spectators gathered to watch.
Dominic said: “Hutchison was one of the best-known Scottish artists of the early 20th century.
“This was way out of his normal area of interest and depicting such a vast event must have been quite a challenge.”
So despite the subject being vastly different from his usual work, Hutchison clearly impressed those in royal circles.
The painting will now be offered for a sale at David Duggleby’s Fine Paintings Sale in Scarborough on Friday, September 11.
The artwork has been given a pre-sale estimate of between £5,000 and £8,000.
The viewing is taking place at Vine Street Salerooms from 9am until the auction begins at 11am.
The sale will also be broadcast live.