Fotoreproductie van een gravure van A Highland Funeral, naar het schilderij door Sir George Harvey before 1870

This is a photogravure made by Thomas Annan after a painting by Sir George Harvey entitled, A Highland Funeral. It gives us insight into both Scottish culture and the Victorian obsession with death. The scene depicts a funeral procession in the Scottish Highlands. This image participates in a long tradition of romanticising the Scottish Highlands, but what are the politics of this imagery? What is the public role of this work? Well, we see how death rituals reinforce community bonds, particularly important in the face of social changes, like the Highland Clearances, that displaced many from their land and traditions. Annan’s choice to reproduce Harvey’s painting through photography is interesting because it democratizes access to such images. To better understand this artwork, one might consult historical records about funeral practices in the Highlands, studies on Victorian-era mourning rituals, or research into the market for reproductive prints and photographs. By exploring the context in which this image was created and consumed, we gain a deeper appreciation of its cultural significance.