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 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 ...

. Although primarily the creator of small figurines, her works include several commissions at national level.

Life

Bone was born in

Hornby, Lancashire Hornby is a village and former civil parish from Lancaster, now in the parish of Hornby-with-Farleton, in the Lancaster district, in the county of Lancashire, England. The village is on the A683 and at the confluence of the River Wenning and L ...

, the daughter of Dr Douglas Mayhew Bone and his wife Mary Campbell Smith. As a child she had a great love for animals, her pet pony and retriever were the first models for drawing. She also enjoyed visiting Edinburgh's Zoological Park, studying, drawing and eventually sculpting animals. This fascination with the shapes and actions of animals influenced her pursuit in becoming an animal sculptor.

Education and training

Bone was educated at St George School for Girls in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

then trained as a sculptor at

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 ...

(1912–18) under

Alexander Carrick Alexander Carrick (20 February 1882 – 1966) was a Scottish sculptor. He was one of Scotland's leading monumental sculptors of the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for many architectural and ecclesiastical works as well as m ...

Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson Royal Scottish Academy, RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th Century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect S ...

and

Percy Portsmouth Percival ("Percy") Herbert Portsmouth RSA FRSBS (1874–1953) was a 20th-century British sculptor. His most notable public work is Elgin War Memorial, and the similar War Memorial in Thurso. Life He was born in Reading, England, in 1874, the ...

. She received a Diploma in Sculpture in 1918. During this time she also twice travelled to Paris, under a travel scholarship, to train specifically as an animal sculptor under Edouard Navellier. This travel scholarship and tutoring by Navellier, was one which her fellow Edinburgh College Art alumni, the sculptor Mary Syme Boyd, would also undertake over ten years later between 1929-33.

Work

Bone served in the

Women's Legion Women's Legion was a British charitable organisation created in 1915 by Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, the Marchioness of Londonderry. Its first general secretary (to 1918) was Rose Bradley, daughter of George Granville Bradley George Granville ...

as a driver during the First World War. In Scotland, Bone quickly gained fame as an animal sculptor. At first she worked within the Holyrood Pottery but soon became independent. She took up residence first at 5 Alva Street in Edinburgh where she lived until 1935. Bone was elected an associate member of the

in 1939, being nominated by

Benno Schotz Benno Schotz (28 August 1891 Arensburg, Livonia, Russian Empire – 11 October 1984 Glasgow, Scotland) was an Estonian-born Scottish sculptor, and one of twentieth century Scotland's leading artists. Biography Early life Schotz was the y ...

, and was the first woman to ever be elected a full member of the Academy in 1940. Originally she shared studios with the Scottish Colourists at the Albert Gallery, 24 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh. She latterly largely worked at the Dean studios in

Dean Village Dean Village (from ''dene'', meaning 'deep valley') is a former village immediately northwest of the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is bounded by Belford Road to the south and west, Belgrave Crescent Gardens to the north and below the ...

(1935–50). From 1946 onwards she began spending more time in

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or i ...

, taking a second home in

Newton Stewart Newton Stewart ( Gd: ''Baile Ùr nan Stiùbhartach'') is a former burgh town in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The town is on the River Cree with most of the town to the west of the river, and ...

whilst in Edinburgh thereafter only retaining a small basement flat at 7 Randolph Cliff. In 1950 she left

permanently and joined an artists’ colony on the

Solway Firth The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in ...

, living thereafter at Hillview, Barrhill Road,

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; sco, Kirkcoubrie; gd, Cille Chùithbeirt) is a town, parish and a Royal Burgh from 1455 in Kirkcudbrightshire, of which it is traditionally the county town, within Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The town lies southwest of C ...

. Her work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

. She died in

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

Hospital and is buried in Kirkcudbright. Her portrait (by

Robert Sivell Robert Sivell (1888–1958) was a Scottish portrait artist active in the first half of the 20th century. He was a founder member of the Glasgow Society of Artists and Sculptors in 1919. Biography Sivell was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, but l ...

) is held in the Gracefield Collection in Dumfries.

Public works

*Lion and unicorn flanking the entrance of the

Scottish National War Memorial The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief architec ...

(1924-7) working with

and

Sir Robert Lorimer Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, for new work in Scots Baronial and Gothi ...

plus internal roundels relating to animals used by the troops during World War I (carrier pigeons, mules etc.)Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker *Animal Masks on the

Metropolitan-Vickers Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...

Building (now Fortune House), 74 Waterloo Street,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(1925-7) *Restoration of St John’s Church in Perth (1926) working with

*Animal carvings on the Zoology Building, Edinburgh University’s Kings Buildings (1928-9) working with

*Animal carvings, Lady Sanderson Cottage Homes,

Galashiels Galashiels (; sco, Gallae, gd, An Geal Àth) is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive ...

(1930-3) working with

*Royal Coat of Arms (including the lion and the unicorn),

St Andrews House St. Andrew's House (SAH), on the southern flank of Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, is the headquarters building of the Scottish Government. The building stands on the site of the former Calton Gaol. Today, the turreted Governor's House is a ...

(1936-9) working with

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...

and

*Lettering on

Kirkcudbright Tolbooth Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, a meeting place for the council, and a prison, ...

(date unknown)

References

External links

Alexander Carrick, Sculptor – Site dedicated to CarrickThe War Memorials TrustThe Site of Scottish National War Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bone, Phyllis 1894 births 1972 deaths British architectural sculptors Scottish sculptors Scottish women sculptors Royal Scottish Academicians Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art People educated at St George's School, Edinburgh 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century British women artists Olympic competitors in art competitions