Phoebe Anna Traquair
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Anna Traquair was an Irish
artist, noted for her role in the Arts and Crafts movement
in Scotland
, as an illustrator, painter and embroiderer.
, and married the Scottish palaeontologist Ramsay Heatley Traquair
in 1873. The family moved to Edinburgh
, and some of her work was palaeontological drawing related to her husband's research.
Royal Hospital for Sick Children
(1885–1886 and 1896–1898) which includes the mortuary murals, painted 1885 at Meadowside House and transferred to the new site. The mortuary was a small windowless coal house where bodies could be left "reverently and lovingly" until the children were taken by the parents for burial. The paintings illustrated the redemption of mankind.
The song school of St Mary's Cathedral
(1888–92) won Traquair national recognition.. Within a tunnel-vaulted interior, the east wall depicts the cathedral clergy and choir. The south wall depicts Traquair's admired contemporaries such as Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Holman Hunt
, and George Frederic Watts
. On the north wall birds and choristers sing together, and the west wall shows the four beasts singing the Sanctus. The Song School is still used daily for practice by the Choristers.
Her best known work is the vast former Catholic Apostolic Church (1893–1901) in Broughton Street which has been called "Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel", and "a jewelled crown". It was this work which helped to confirm her international recognition.
Another of her major works is the illuminated manuscript of Sonnets from the Portuguese
by the Victorian
poet
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
, a key Arts and Crafts manuscript. This is held by the National Library of Scotland
and a version is available on the NLS Digital Library.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
artist, noted for her role in the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, as an illustrator, painter and embroiderer.
Family life
Phoebe Traquair was born Phoebe Anna Moss in County DublinCounty Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, and married the Scottish palaeontologist Ramsay Heatley Traquair
Ramsay Heatley Traquair
Ramsay Heatley Traquair was a Scottish naturalist who became a leading expert on fossil fish.Born in Rhynd, Perthshire, he trained as a medical doctor, but his thesis was on aspects of fish anatomy...
in 1873. The family moved to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and some of her work was palaeontological drawing related to her husband's research.
Works
Traquair painted the interiors of four Edinburgh buildings between 1885 and 1901. Her wall painting include the chapels of theRoyal Hospital for Sick Children
Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is a hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, specialising in paediatric healthcare. It is commonly referred to simply as the Sick Kids. The hospital provides care for children from birth to around 13 years of age, including a specialist Accident and Emergency facility...
(1885–1886 and 1896–1898) which includes the mortuary murals, painted 1885 at Meadowside House and transferred to the new site. The mortuary was a small windowless coal house where bodies could be left "reverently and lovingly" until the children were taken by the parents for burial. The paintings illustrated the redemption of mankind.
The song school of St Mary's Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)
St Mary's Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in the late 19th century in the West End of Edinburgh's New Town. The cathedral is the see of the Bishop of Edinburgh, one of seven bishops...
(1888–92) won Traquair national recognition.. Within a tunnel-vaulted interior, the east wall depicts the cathedral clergy and choir. The south wall depicts Traquair's admired contemporaries such as Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt OM was an English painter, and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Biography:...
, and George Frederic Watts
George Frederic Watts
George Frederic Watts, OM was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life...
. On the north wall birds and choristers sing together, and the west wall shows the four beasts singing the Sanctus. The Song School is still used daily for practice by the Choristers.
Her best known work is the vast former Catholic Apostolic Church (1893–1901) in Broughton Street which has been called "Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel", and "a jewelled crown". It was this work which helped to confirm her international recognition.
Another of her major works is the illuminated manuscript of Sonnets from the Portuguese
Sonnets from the Portuguese
Sonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845–1846 and first published in 1850, is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The poems largely chronicle the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning...
by the Victorian
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
, a key Arts and Crafts manuscript. This is held by the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
and a version is available on the NLS Digital Library.