Royal artist takes pride of place as home city pays tribute

Captivating works by an eminent Victorian painter are being brought together for a major retrospective to be held in the artist’s home city.

The exhibition in Dunfermline charts the remarkable career of Sir Joseph Noel Paton, who was described in his New York Times obituary as Queen Victoria's favourite artist.

Paton – born a short walk from the exhibition venue – was incredibly popular during his lifetime with barriers often needed to keep crowds in check when his work went on display.

The show at Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries, which opens on 14 September, seeks to introduce Paton to a whole new audience. It features more than 50 oil paintings, drawings and engravings.

Poignant sketches of Queen Victoria and her children – drawn soon after Prince Albert’s death – are among the attractions on show.

Paton was Queen’s Limner in Scotland – the art equivalent of Poet Laureate – and the exhibition includes the certificate and seal he received on taking up the position in 1866.

Paton’s royal links aside, the exhibition showcases work inspired by biblical scenes, classical mythology and Scots folklore. It offers a chance to admire Paton’s naturalistic style, which was greatly influenced by the 19th-century British art movement, the Pre-Raphaelites.

Exhibition curator Lesley-Anne Lettice says the retrospective provides a unique insight into Noel Paton as an artist and as a man: “This is a celebration of a hugely diverse career and its influences – Paton’s family, friends and upbringing all found expression in his work.”

The Dunfermline show presents works from eight public collections, including the National Galleries of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy and Glasgow Museums, as well as many private loans.

Outstanding loans include The Fairy Raid from Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Dawn: Luther at Erfurt from the National Gallery of Scotland and Queen Margaret and Malcolm Canmore from Dunfermline Carnegie Trust.

Other highlights include The First Study for the Quarrel of Oberon and Titania – the prototype for a larger version that hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland.

Also on display is a version of Watch and Pray, which was commissioned by Queen Victoria for the Prayer Room at Osborne House, Isle of Wight.

Rarely seen drawings, which were templates for stained glass memorials in Dunfermline Abbey – one of them commissioned by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie – are a key part of the exhibition.

The Dunfermline-born industrialist asked Paton to create a window depicting four historical figures with links to the Abbey – Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, King Malcolm III and his wife, Margaret. The so-called Patriots’ Window was unveiled on 21 June 1884.

Large preparatory drawings for two biblically inspired scenes – the Resurrection and the Last Supper – which make up the Abbey’s Great West Window, are also part of the show.

Domestically themed works include The Lullaby – a tender portrait of his wife Maggie and young son Diarmid, which is being loaned by one of Paton’s descendants.

There is also a painting of his five-year-old son Callie, who died from diphtheria. Family life was hugely important to Paton, who nicknamed his large, noisy brood of 11 children ‘the Infantry’.

Illustrated notebooks, personal objects and correspondence from artists John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rosetti and Ford Madox Brown also feature.

There are letters too from writers Oscar Wilde and Lewis Carroll, as well as Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Beatrice, thanking him for a sketch sent as a wedding present.

Exhibits from Dunfermline Carnegie Library’s collection include an edition of the National Shakespeare, which was illustrated by Paton and commissioned by Queen Victoria.

Born at Wooers’ Alley Cottage in 1821, Paton was part of a creative family. His sister Amelia was a well-known sculptor and his brother Waller was a successful landscape artist.

Although the cottage was demolished in the 1920s, people can follow the recently created Paton trail between the Glen Bridge and Buffies Brae to see where the house once stood.

The exhibition will, says Lesley Lettice, provide a great day out: “The exhibition is packed full of colourful paintings and beautifully detailed sketches. It really is a feast for the eyes and a fitting tribute to the man Andrew Carnegie described as Dunfermline's greatest son.”

Joseph Noel Paton – An Artist's Life runs from 14 September to 9 February 2025. Admission is free. A programme of events, aimed at all ages, will accompany the exhibition.

A special page dedicated to the forthcoming exhibition, featuring highlights which will be included in the show, can be found at onfife.com