Abstract

Archibald Geikie was interested in art and produced c. 700 images in various media. Geikie's drawings and watercolours evolved in relation to the tradition of links between geology and fine art. This tradition is important in considering Geikie's visual output. His work in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, in England and in France both related to that tradition and responded to differing visual codes of representation in these locations at the time he worked. Specifically, Geikie utilized a Romantic aesthetic while painting in the Scottish Highlands and adopted a more Realist approach in the Lowlands. In France and in England, his visual language can be related to well-established contemporary modes of expression. The significance of these adaptations is discussed.