Dressing Room of Mary, Queen of Scots, Holyrood Palace 1837

Samuel Dukinfield Swarbreck created this drawing of Mary, Queen of Scots' dressing room at Holyrood Palace sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Swarbreck's image gives us access to how the Victorians thought about their history and how the spaces of the past were being preserved and interpreted. The artist meticulously renders the room's interior. Note the ornate furniture, the painted walls, and the wooden floors. This level of detail speaks to the Victorian era's fascination with historical accuracy and the desire to preserve and document historical sites. Britain in the 19th century saw a surge of interest in its history and traditions. Figures like Mary, Queen of Scots became romanticized symbols of the nation's past. Holyrood Palace, with its rich history, was a site of immense cultural significance, and images like this fed the public's appetite for historical narratives. To better understand this drawing, we might research the Victorian-era restoration projects at Holyrood Palace. We might also look into the popular literature and art that shaped Victorian perceptions of Mary, Queen of Scots. Art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.