Covenanters 1830

George Harvey painted this oil sketch entitled ‘Covenanters’ sometime in the mid-19th century. This image depicts a man and woman sitting together in a defensive pose with a rifle. To understand this image, we need to know about the Scottish Covenanters of the 17th century. They were Presbyterian Protestants who resisted the imposition of Anglicanism by the Stuart monarchs. This resistance involved armed rebellions and the signing of covenants, hence their name. The Covenanters became a potent symbol of Scottish national identity and religious freedom. Harvey was a Scottish artist who specialized in historical and genre paintings. His work often depicted scenes from Scottish history and folklore, celebrating the values of courage, independence, and piety associated with the Covenanters. This sketch then, should be understood as a product of its time, a moment of historical and cultural myth-making. To know more, look to historical texts and accounts of Scottish history and religion. Consider also the biographies of artists like Harvey, as well as books on the history of national identity. Only then can the meaning of a work of art become clear.