Mary Syme Boyd (15 August 1910 – 30 October 1997) was a Scottish artist and sculptor who studied at the

Edinburgh College of Art Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

from 1929 to 1933. She became known for her animal sculptures and exhibited at the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

(RSA) and the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI). Edinburgh College of Art Main Entrance

Early life and education

Mary Syme Boyd was born in Edinburgh in 1910. Her mother was Clara Constance Lepper (1875-1961) of Co.Antrim. Her father was Francis Darby Boyd (1866-1922), Professor of Clinical Medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. She attended the Edinburgh College of Art from 1929 to 1933. There she had access to a small animal menagerie where students were encouraged to make life studies. Boyd's fascination with animals went on to become the primary subject matter throughout her career. Like her fellow animal sculptor and

alumni,

Phyllis Bone Phyllis Mary Bone RSA (15 February 1894 – 12 July 1972) was a 20th-century Scottish sculptor. She has the particular claim to fame as being the first female Academician of the Royal Scottish Academy. Although primarily the creator of smal ...

, before her Boyd was awarded a travel scholarship to study in Paris in 1931–32, where she studied under the tutelage of the acclaimed animalier sculptor, Edouard Navellier. There she developed her techniques in bronze casting. In 1934, Boyd was awarded another scholarship which allowed her to travel to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and France. According to the Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women ''"her notebooks about her European tour and her wartime service are extraordinary testaments''." Whilst travelling, she sought out examples of modern sculpture but also admired pewter, Danish silver and wood carvings in churches. Later that same year, Boyd returned to Edinburgh to settle in Belford Mews, where she stayed until her death. Apart from the diaries she kept during her European tour and wartime service, little else is known about Boyd's life outside of her artwork other than she did not marry or have children. There are accounts of "''her'' ''great love of driving and her exploration of the Scottish Highlands''" . She died in Edinburgh on 30 October 1997 and was buried with her sister Lesbia Boyd in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

. The grave lies very close to the main entrance, on the south side of the central east–west path. Her parents lie alongside, with a hand-carved stone by Mary. Some records say she carved her own name on her memorial with only the date to infill. Her name is not carved, as with her sister's name above it, is added in preformed lead letters.

Career

From 1935 to 1963, Boyd's professional career was conducted from a house/studio at 14 Belford Mews. This was only interrupted by her wartime service as part of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service during the London blitz. Boyd exhibited at the

(RSA), the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI), and the

Society of Scottish Artists The Society of Scottish Artists is a Scottish artist-run organization which seeks to ''promote and encourage experimentation and the "adventurous spirit" in Scottish art.'' It was founded in 1891 and its main space for annual exhibitions has bee ...

. She worked in plaster, bronze, silver, carved wood, and stone. Her exhibited work consisted of naturalistic animal studies, and allegorical subjects and she undertook a number of ecclesiastical commissions such as work for St. Mary's Episcopal Church in

Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...

Notable works (by year of exhibition)

* ''Moon - a white cat'' (1935) * ''The wild boar'' (1935) * ''The kestrel'' (1935) * ''Study of a Cat'' (c.1935) * ''Dancers'' (1936) * ''Kestrel carved in Sabique'' (1936) * ''Bird of prey'' (1945) * ''Station of the cross'' (1951) Boyd bequeathed ''Kestrel'' to the

National Galleries of Scotland National Galleries of Scotland ( gd, Gailearaidhean Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the National Collections o ...

as representative of her life's work.

"Bird sculptures often took the form of an outstretched-winged hunting bird on a rocky outcrop, usually with a tiny victim writhing in its claws, or in territorial combat with another bird. Boyd's ''Kestrel'', however, eschews these narrative orthodoxies and aligns instead with modernist principles, choosing to depict this bird as a benign creature. Carved from wood, ''Kestrel's'' simple lines and unadorned surface serve to illustrate that Boyd was aware of modernist discourse involving 'truth to materials', espoused by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth at this time."

Included in the bequest were two additional sculptures: one by Elizabeth Dempster and one by

Georg Kolbe Georg Kolbe (15 April 1877 – 20 November 1947) was a German sculptor. He was the leading German figure sculptor of his generation, in a vigorous, modern, simplified classical style similar to Aristide Maillol of France. Early life and educa ...

References

External links

# https://web.archive.org/web/20160310150802/http://www.latebloomers.co.uk/wforum/DeadInterestingWomen/msboyd.html # https://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/b/artist/mary-syme-boyd {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Mary Syme 1910 births 1997 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters 20th-century Scottish women artists Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art Artists from Edinburgh Burials at the Dean Cemetery Scottish sculptors Scottish women sculptors