John Sanger

(active 1756-1773)

Taymouth from the South

Footnotes

Provenance
John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1752–1782); by descent to Sir Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane (1871–1922).
The Mactaggart family of the Taymouth Castle Hotel Company, 1922-2020; thence by descent.

Exhibited
Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland, The Discovery of Scotland - The Appreciation of Scottish Scenery through Two Centuries of Painting, 1978.

Literature
J. Holloway and L. Errington, The Discovery of Scotland - The Appreciation of Scottish Scenery through Two Centuries of Painting, National Gallery of Scotland, 1978, illustrated p. 17.

Taymouth Castle lies on the south bank of the River Tay about a mile from Loch Tay in the central Highlands of Scotland. It stands on the site of the much older Balloch Castle, which was built in 1552.

In 1720, John Campbell, the 2nd Earl of Breadalbane, started the alterations to the Castle and designing landscapes as was fashionable at that time. William Adam was commissioned to produce a plan showing the grand new design for the gardens. This layout appears in the 1733 painting Taymouth Castle (View of Taymouth Castle from the south) by James Norrie, now in the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland. (Norrie was a friend of William Adam). The picture was updated in 1739 by another artist, John Griffier II, who repainted parts of it to reflect later alterations to the landscape.

In 1752, John, 2nd Earl, died aged 90 and his son John, Lord Glenorchy and later the 3rd Earl of Breadalbane, took over the management of Taymouth and commenced further designs for policies surrounding the Castle. In 1754, Thomas Winter prepared another survey of the grounds, and by this time all the formal gardens, the remaining avenue and part of the terrace had been removed. This updated landscape can be seen in Taymouth from the North by John Sanger, also in the National Galleries of Scotland collections. Taymouth from the South is the 'partner' or opposite view to this painting.

It is recorded that in April 1756, John Sanger was paid £23 2s 0d for making a picture of Taymouth. The following year he was paid a guinea for altering a picture and a further £23 2s 0d for another painting of Taymouth. Therefore this painting can be dated precisely to 1757.