Work Record ID:
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0041834
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Title:
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Chillingham Bull by William Shiels (1785-1857)
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Creator:
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Low, David (b.1786, d.1859)
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Creator Name:
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Low, David
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Creator Dates:
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b.1786, d.1859
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Creator Role:
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Commissioned by
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Summary Creator:
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David Low
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Creator:
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Shiels, William (b.1783, d.1857)
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Creator Name:
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Shiels, William
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Creator Dates:
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b.1783, d.1857
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Creator Role:
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Painter
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Summary Creator:
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William Shiels
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Date:
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Circa 1830-1839
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Description:
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In 1790 Edinburgh instituted the first ever Chair of Agriculture. In the 1830s David Low, then professor and also director of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, commissioned 100 portraits of specific breeds. The aim was make as accurate a record as possible of contemporary breeds and, in particular, to encourage the preservation of breeds that were dying out. In today's terms, Low recognised the importance of keeping a 'gene pool' of hardy native animals. William Shiels, born in Berwickshire in 1785, was well known as a portrait and animal painter. Low sent him to paint all over Britain and he spent 8 years on the road. Cattle and horses are depicted at half size; sheep, goats, pigs and dogs, at full size. The surviving paintings are now divided between the National Museum of Scotland and the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. They are fine paintings, but their purpose was primarily scientific, part of a process of description and classification that was essential to the successful breeding of improved livestock.
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Work Type:
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Painting
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Measurement:
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74 x 88cm (2' 5 1/8" x 2' 10 5/8")
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Material:
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Canvas
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Material:
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Oil Paint
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Technique:
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Finger Painting/Painting techniques
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Location:
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Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
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Repository:
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Object Lessons
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Repro File Type:
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Cropped Tiff
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Repro File Size (bytes):
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131639788
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Repro Repository:
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Object Lessons
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Repro Old ID Number:
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ol0030a
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Repro Rights Statement:
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© The University of Edinburgh
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Repro Capture Date:
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02/08/2003 13:19:00
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