David Taylor

Memberships (professional bodies)

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (Fellow).

CODART, International Council for Curators of Dutch and Flemish Art (The Hague).

Attingham Society.

Renaissance Society of America.

Career summary

Senior Curator (16th and 17th-century portraits), Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Curator of Pictures and Sculpture, National Trust.

Areas of interest / research

16th and 17th-century British portraiture.

Iconography of Catherine of Braganza.

Peter Lely.

Scottish Jacobean portraiture and patrons.

Female artistic patronage; Adam de Colone

George Jamesone.

Jacob Huysmans.

Willem Wissing.

Early Modern Scottish picture collections.

Details of books/publications relating to your work on British portraiture

Entries for Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II exhibition catalogue (NPG, 2001).

‘Ravenous Covetousness: Sir Peter Lely’s portraits of the Duchess of Lauderdale’, History Scotland, vol.2, no.2 (2002).

‘A rediscovered portrait of Queen Anne, when a child by Sir Peter Lely’, Burlington Magazine, no.1204, vol.145 (2003).

‘Dutch and Flemish portraits in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery’, CODART Courant 18 (2009).

‘Jan Lievens’ portrait of Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram acquired by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery’, Scottish Society for Art History newsletter (2010).

‘Picture in Focus: George Seton, 8th Lord Seton and 3rd Earl of Winton, with his sons George and Alexander, by Adam de Colone’, Art: Scottish Art News (Fleming Collection), Issue 15 (2011).

Entries for The Lost Prince: The Life and Death of Henry Stuart exhibition catalogue, NPG (2012).

Essay ‘Lely in Arcadia: religious, pastoral, musical and mythological themes in Peter Lely’s subject pictures’ for Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision exhibition catalogue, Courtauld Institute (2012).

Forthcoming: Essay ‘Gesture Recognition: Adam de Colone and the transmission of portrait types from the Low Countries and England to Scotland’ for Painting in Britain 1500-1630: Production, Influences and Patronage (NPG/British Academy).

 

Exhibitions curated:

Peter Lely: Artist and Collector, National Gallery of Scotland (Nov 2009 – Feb 2010).

Reformation to Revolution, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Dec 2011 – Dec 2016).

George Jamesone: Scotland’s First Portrait Painter, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Dec 2011 – Dec 2013).

John Slezer: A Survey of Scotland, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Dec 2011 – Dec 2012).

The Age of Improvement, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Dec 2011 – Dec 2015).