Gezicht op een vallei met een meer in Schotland before 1863

This photograph of a valley with a lake in Scotland was made by Thomas Ogle, sometime in the nineteenth century. It's included alongside a passage from ‘The Lady of the Lake’ by Sir Walter Scott. This book, like many others in its time, combines text and image. It invites us to consider how the relationship between them shapes our understanding of the Scottish Highlands, and the history, myths, and legends that are associated with them. In Britain, during the nineteenth century, rapid industrialization was transforming the landscape. At the same time, the Highlands became an important part of Scottish and British national identity. What role did the popularization of romantic visions of Scotland play in this period of industrial and social change? By combining the formal analysis of art with the socio-political context of its production and reception, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, culture, and power. Examining printed matter like this can tell us much about social attitudes of the period.