Weathered Tartans

[figheadair]

That particular name may have been new, but didn't that colour palette exist at least as far back as the mid 1800s? MacLeay's portraits showed a lot of tartans in what we would today call "ancient" colours (which I assume is the descendant of "vegetable colourings"). Are these pretty much the same, or is there some difference I'm not seeing? Would the MacLeay portraits mostly be in old Wilson's colours, and the "vegetable colourings" be a shade lighter?

Macleay's drawings are excellent but one needs to be a little careful with his colouring. Several examples of tartans he depicts survive and they look quite different, generally darker, that he represents them. If we look at other specimens of the time they are all what we would nowadays call Modern Colours. I cannot think of an example of Ancient Colours amongst the specimens in Clans Originaux for example.

[davidlpope]

Macleay's drawings are excellent but one needs to be a little careful with his colouring. Several examples of tartans he depicts survive and they look quite different, generally darker, that he represents them. If we look at other specimens of the time they are all what we would nowadays call Modern Colours. I cannot think of an example of Ancient Colours amongst the specimens in Clans Originaux for example.

Peter,

I've always thought that MacLeay's paintings reflected the older, WOB-esque colors, where there was greater contrast among the shades, rather than a uniform palette. By way of example, here is MacLeay's take on an Atholl Highlanders uniform, a painting from the early 1900s, and a modern photo showing what may well be tartan that dates to those earlier times. I don't think that his paintings depict the "ancient" color scheme as we know it, but I'm not convinced that his colors are that off. At least not yet.

[OC Richard]

Great images there David!

You might well be right.

Perhaps the Wilson's colours were in the back of their minds when they created the "vegetable" palette. (What we call "ancient colours" today.)

But for the vegetable/ancient colourings they made blue and green both pastel hues, while the Wilson's palette was more varied and sophisticated, with as you say a lighter green and a deeper blue.

Hues more or less like that were maintained by the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders



and are now worn by The Royal Regiment Of Scotland.

[figheadair]

Peter,

I've always thought that MacLeay's paintings reflected the older, WOB-esque colors, where there was greater contrast among the shades, rather than a uniform palette. By way of example, here is MacLeay's take on an Atholl Highlanders uniform, a painting from the early 1900s, and a modern photo showing what may well be tartan that dates to those earlier times. I don't think that his paintings depict the "ancient" color scheme as we know it, but I'm not convinced that his colors are that off. At least not yet.

David,

The Atholl Highlanders are an exception and cannot be taken as the model for Macleay's plates. At the time Macleay published his plates, the 1870's, the Atholl highlanders were still wearing plaids and kilts of Wilsons' cloth woven between 1830-40. This tartan was handwoven and naturally dyed (note I did not say vegetable; cochineal, the source of the red, is of course and animal). Until about 10 years ago their plaids were still the original Wilsons' ones but have recently been copied by HoE and the originals mostly retired. From an historical perspective I'm glad to see this move but the original plaids are still in use at Blair from time to time. Here is a range of the original plaids which shows the variety due to being produced from different dye-lots. It Macleay had copied one it would have a) not been representative of all the plaids worn by the regiments and b) not indicative of mid-Victorian produced tartans which were generally, if not wholly, artificially dyed.



A counter to the idea that Macleay’s tartans were in the ‘ancient’ range is this comparison of his plate showing Piper Wm MacDonald and a c1866-7 photograph of MacDonald in the same outfit and which was quite possibly used by Macleay as the study for his picture. The difference in the shades of the tartan in the plate and photograph are obvious. You will also notice that Macleay got the white overstripes wrong, sowing 3/3 rather than the correct alternating 1/3. This is not the only error in a tartan in Macleay's work and which raises questions about just how accurate he was.

[davidlpope]

David,

A counter to the idea that Macleay’s tartans were in the ‘ancient’ range is this comparison of his plate showing Piper Wm MacDonald and a c1866-7 photograph of MacDonald in the same outfit and which was quite possibly used by Macleay as the study for his picture. The difference in the shades of the tartan in the plate and photograph are obvious. You will also notice that Macleay got the white overstripes wrong, sowing 3/3 rather than the correct alternating 1/3. This is not the only error in a tartan in Macleay's work and which raises questions about just how accurate he was.

Peter,

Yes, good point. Ironically, I have that Macleay print in my office and would agree with you that the actual tartan would be much darker than the watercolors used in the print. It works for the art, but would be too light, almost pink, if woven that way in real life.

David