Doedelzakspeler c. 1750 - 1760

John Goldar made this mezzotint of a bagpipe player sometime in the late 18th century. The image presents some interesting contradictions. The bagpipes are associated with folk culture, and in particular with Scotland. By the 1700s, after the Jacobite risings, the pipes were also associated with political rebellion. This print, however, was made in England, and Goldar made his living by reproducing portraits of aristocrats. Was this image made for a Scottish audience? Did it romanticize the idea of Scottish identity for an English audience? Was it simply a technical exercise to demonstrate Goldar’s skill with the difficult medium of mezzotint? These are the kinds of questions we might ask ourselves when we try to understand the cultural work that images do. By looking at historical sources such as trade directories, records from institutions such as the Royal Academy, and the prints themselves, we can better understand the complex role of images in society.