Art competition to mark bicentenary of Scots author’s influential novel
STUDENTS are set to take part in an art competition paying homage to a 19th-century Scottish novelist who once lived in a townhouse that is now part of an iconic hotel.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George Hotel – part of IHG Hotels & Resorts – has launched a competition for students of the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) at the University of Edinburgh offering budding artists the opportunity to paint a piece of history, marking the 200th anniversary of the release of Susan Ferrier’s novel, The Inheritance.
Launched ahead of yesterday’s International Women’s Day, students from the renowned art school have been commissioned to create an exclusive piece of artwork which celebrates the novel, originally released in 1824 and considered to be the author’s greatest work, as well as the hotel’s unique connection to Ferrier (right).
A novelist of the Scottish Enlightenment, who sold more books than Jane Austen in her lifetime, but whose legacy has been less known to 21st-century audiences, once resided in one of the townhouses which now makes up the InterContinental Edinburgh The George Hotel. A successful businesswoman and intellectual, Ferrier challenged gender stereotypes of her time and was recognised for her writing by the likes of Sir Walter Scott.
Located at 25 George Street, the Ferrier family home was well known amongst Edinburgh intellectual circles during the 18th century, with Scott and Robert Burns frequently visiting. Scotland’s national bard even penned a poem to the Ferrier sisters.
The Inheritance tells the story of the young heroine Gertrude as she arrives in the Scottish estate of Lord Rossville to take up her position as his heiress, but finds herself in the middle of a gallery of humorous and eccentric characters — and at the centre of a mystery. The novel is concerned with questions of morality and education, in particular, a woman’s role in marriage and education.
The book also references national identity and the differences between Scottish and English cultures in the aftermath of the Union of 1707 and the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745.
To mark the bicentennial of the novel’s publication, InterContinental Edinburgh
The George has worked closely with ECA to create a brief to help inspire students.
As well as becoming part of the hotel’s heritage, the winning artist will also receive a purchase price for their artwork, which will be displayed within the hotel lounge for the months of July and August, before being permanently installed in the hotel’s Ferrier Suite.
Stephanie Lee, director of Sales at InterContinental Edinburgh The George Hotel, said: “We’re excited to see the student’s interpretations of The Inheritance and what it represents for them through their art. We’re even more excited to see the winning painting displayed in the Ferrier Suite for guests from around the world to see. We wish all students the best of luck and can’t wait to see the entries honouring Susan Ferrier’s life and work.”
The competition, which is being run directly with students at ECA, will close in May, with the winner announced shortly after.