Scott's Border Minstrelsy Exhibition

“The Blythsome Bridal”, from a collection of ballads collected by John Bell, Newcastle, [between 1812 and 1820] Chapbooks were often illustrated with primitive woodcut prints which refer to their contents. The woodcut in this chapbook shows a newly wedded couple dancing to the strains of a musician playing the lowland bagpipes. This image can be traced back to the Dutch artist Jacob de Wit, resident in Scotland in the late 17 th century. Scottish artists, most notably David Allan (1744-1796) and David Wilkie (1785-1841), later drew on this image. They used it to suggest that life in the countryside was socially harmonious, with the aristocracy and peasantry sharing a common popular culture. In this woodcut, the couple dancing are obviously quite wealthy. The Scottish aristocracy were great patrons of popular music and song and certain Scottish aristocrats, such as Lady Nairne (1766-1845), were songwriters themselves. The image refers to the wedding song ‘Fy, let us to the Bridel’ contained in the chapbook.