Lithograph on paper, c.1862-1863
John Lessels (1809-1883)
RCAHMS
Rosslyn Chapel is one of the most remarkable surviving buildings of medieval Scotland.
Under construction in 1446, only the east end, or choir, was completed. No other medieval building in Scotland is so elaborately carved. This unusual wealth of sculpture and the lack of obvious parallels has sparked much debate over the years and has inspired many theories and numerous legends, such as that of the ‘Prentice Pillar’. This tells of a talented apprentice whose work surpassed that of his master, who, in a rage, killed the apprentice with his mallet.
This image was drawn by the Scottish architect, John Lessels, who completed a series of such interior views of Rosslyn Chapel during the 1860s while overseeing repair work.
As well as receiving visitors fascinated by its uniqueness, Rosslyn has in recent years attracted much interest through the fictional volume Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and thesubsequent Holywood movie.