King James V acquired a number of the pieces in an attempt to glorify his reign. Pic © Crown
Carvings of King Arthur, Julius Caesar, 16th century Italian fashion trendsetters and a line of Stewart monarchs are being restored to Stirling Castle as part of a flamboyant £12 million project for Scotland’s 2009 Year of Homecoming campaign.
The Stirling Heads, a set of medallion-shaped oak profiles measuring up to a metre in diameter, adorned the ceilings of the most important chambers of the royal palace in the 1540s.
Researchers are now eager to discover the identity of the figures depicted in the 33 surviving heads, as well as two other sketches of heads destroyed by fire and dozens of others which were lost.
King James I is one of a long line of Stewart Kings included. Pic © Crown
Glasgow University Art History lecturer Dr Sally Rush, who has studied contemporary portraits, fashions and artistic trends across Europe in an effort to find out more about the works, believes the surviving portraits count Scottish Kings James I and James V, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the English King Henry VIII and his sister Margaret Tudor among their ranks.
Madeleine of France, who was married to the King. Pic © Crown
“Had you walked into the King’s Presence Chamber when the ceiling was complete I think you would have seen a whole sequence of Stewart kings, all the James’s from I to V,” she speculated.
“It was a statement by James V to say that his dynasty went back a long way in an unbroken line and had the inalienable right to rule over Scotland.
Smartly-dressed Italian men also sneak into the collection. Pic © Crown
“The presence of Henry VIII and Margaret Tudor, mother of James V, is a reminder of his claim to the English throne. One of the heads which was destroyed by fire, but of which we have a sketch, may have shown Henry VIII, complete with English lion, face-on in the style developed specifically for his portraits by Hans Holbein.
The fashionable court attired donned by Italian women of the time could have been a cause of jealousy for their Scottish counterparts. Pic © Crown
“Margaret Tudor is wearing a distinctive English hood and is seen with a greyhound, which was one of her family’s heraldic symbols. There would probably have been other European rulers of the day as well, such as the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, showing that James V had powerful allies.”
Margaret Tudor is among those profiled. Pic © Crown
Master craftsman John Donaldson has been commissioned to hand carve a replica set for the ceiling of the King’s Presence Chamber in the castle, and Dr Rush suspects that the carvings of Scottish royals were taken from official portraits belonging to James V and other family members. A number of adventurously-dressed Italians also feature.
Researchers believe Julius Caesar is one of the starring figures. Pic © Crown
“These are the latest looks that would be popular with the young bucks and high-born women on the Continent,” observed Rush, noting one woman who is “right on the money,” for French and Italian court attire of the time.
“They gave out a message that James V was in touch with what was going on across the Channel, as part of modern Europe. I suspect that a lot of Scottish courtiers would be thinking how much they wanted to keep up by getting hold of similar clothes for themselves.”
A permanent display will recreate the original look of the heads. Pic © Crown
The collection, mooted to have been aesthetically inspired by the work of Polish, Italian or French artists of the time, also included heroes and historical figures who the King yearned to align his dynasty with. Christian, Jewish and pagan figures including King Arthur, Joshua and Alexander the Great are portrayed in an attempt by James V to define his legacy.
Peter Buchanan, Project Manager for Historic Scotland, described Dr Rush’s work as “very exciting”. “We are especially delighted that the research results are coming through now, just a few months before the completion of a replica set of the heads,” he said.
The pieces were originally brought back into public view in the 1970s, arriving at National Museums Scotland’s Smith Gallery in Stirling. A permanent display of the heads will open once the scheme to restore the palace to its 16th century state has been completed in 2011.
