Scottish Fowl: A Bird’s Eye View

By Madina Burkhanova

Edgar Allan Poe most likely didn’t know the influence that The Raven, written in 1845, would so broadly have when he was writing it. He was not the first, and most certainly not the last, to create art on the basis of such an iconic being; in fact, ravens - as well as other birds - have had firm roots planted in Scottish art for centuries. Whether they are the subject of writing from a troubled author in rural New York or a painting in Inverkip, birds are a fixture of art emblematic of the intertwinement of nature and humanity.

It probably does not come as a surprise to any reader that Scotland is renowned for its stunning vistas. The most menial tasks are given an enhanced sense of luxury in this country; life takes on a utopian tinge when one is surrounded by such scenery. Nature as a more broad concept features heavily within all Scottish art - for example, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the most recognized artists of this region, incorporated various flora and fauna into even the most geometric and abstract of his works. However, birds are a more specific subgenre of nature that have time and time again featured in Scottish works.

One cannot discuss the emblematic motif of birds without coming back to ravens. The Gaelic word for raven is fitheach - many Scottish places feature this word in their name, either as an fhithich or nam fitheach, meaning of the ravens. Regular features on the battlefield in Scottish tales, there are various connotations to their presence in mythology; one legend tells the story of Cailleach, who took the form of a raven and devoured men. In some parts of the country, it is also believed that King Arthur did not die, but instead transformed into a raven. Holistically, the raven is viewed as a bird of inauspiciousness and even death; however, this isn’t always true in art.

In Jane Moore’s oil painting Raven Mistress, shown below, a woman reclines in a field alongside a stag. Ravens frame the corner of the piece, splashes of darkness against an otherwise vibrant setting. The initial mood exuded by the painting is one of peace and tranquility, and yet the peering ravens add a sense of foreboding. The artist herself stated that “there is a sense of watchfulness and alertness [...] one Raven appears to be warning her about something.” By portraying the birds as guardians more than symbols of ill-omen, Moore is contradicting the typical stereotype imposed upon ravens in art.

Jane Moore, *Raven Mistress*, unknown, oil.

The incorporation of birds in Scottish art is not exclusive to ravens. Albert Flamen, an engraver who spent much of his adult life in Scotland, is known for his sketches of birds. A particularly famous piece, One of Three Drawings of Birds features numerous subspecies drawn in delicate pencil work. The piece belongs to the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture, and is on loan to the Scottish National Gallery.

Albert Flamen, *One of Three Drawings of Birds*, unknown, pencil.

One final example of ducks being focal to a Scottish piece is an unnamed piece by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, usually referred to as Two Birds and a Portrait of a Woman. The most abstract of the works discussed so far, the lines in this piece are symmetrical and feature two birds with their beaks open, framing a woman’s face in the center.

Scotland’s culture is so exceedingly woven with nature that it would be impossible to overlook the influence that Earthly elements have had upon the art that is produced here. Birds are features of Scottish art in a variety that is most certainly rare in the art selections of other countries or regions; their symbolism, ranging from freedom to foreboding, is a key component to understanding the minds of artists and their product. More prominently, they are proof of the impact of one’s surroundings on the art that is created - a concept that is so much more eminent here in Scotland.

Bibliography:

ArtGallery. Figurative landscape with woman, stag and ravens, Scottish Highlands, lakes, title, Raven Mistress. United Kingdom: ArtGallery.co.uk, 2021.

Flamen, Albert. One of Three Drawings of Birds. Scotland: National Galleries Scotland, 2021.

Mackintosh, Charles Rennie. Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Making the Glasgow Style. United Kingdom: National Museums Liverpool, 2019.

Poe, Edgar Allan. The Raven. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1884.

Scouller, Lara. Eider Ducks. Scotland: Panter & Hall, 2021.

Trees for Life. Mythology and Folklore of the Raven. Scotland: Trees for Life, 2020.