John Hutchison (1 June 1832 – 23 May 1910) was a Scottish sculptor based in Edinburgh. He was the son of an unnamed builder, and his artistic life began as a thirteen-year-old woodcarving apprentice. He attended art school in the evenings, then later became a student at the

Trustees Academy 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 ...

. and attracted the patronage of its owner, Patrick Allan Fraser, who gave him commissions to fund his study in Rome. Although after Rome he continued to enjoy ancient Roman sculptural themes, he remained in Edinburgh for the rest of his life, working in wood, clay and marble, and concentrating on portraiture of Scottish people, and images of Scottish myth and history. He created the bust of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

Poets' Corner Poets' Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey in the City of Westminster, London because of the high number of poets, playwrights, and writers buried and commemorated there. The first poe ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. He was a successful artist who received commissions from

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

Background

Hutchison's father was an Edinburgh builder. He was born in Laurieston, in north-west Edinburgh. In 1895 he was left £1,000 by James Cowan. He married Margaret Ballantine (1839–1875) on 28 June 1870 in Edinburgh. Margaret was the daughter of poet

James Ballantine James Ballantine (11 June 1806 – 18 December 1877) was a Scottish artist and author. His son, Alexander (1841–1906), later joined his stained-glass window business.

and Margaret Peat. Hutchison's daughter Henrietta (1871–1933) married Andrew Paterson Melville and became a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

. Hutchison retired in 1907 and spent much time reading. When his lifelong friend Orchardson died in April 1910, "it told very seriously upon him. He lost his old interest in life, and his strength under the blow gradually gave way."''The Scotsman'', Tuesday 24 May 1910 p6 col7: The late Mr John Hutchison RSA
/ref> Hutchison died on 23 May 1910 in Edinburgh after a week's illness,Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951: John Hutchison
/ref>''The Times'' 24 May 1910, p13: People, Mr John Hutchison RSA and is buried in Grange Cemetery, in the northern half of its SE section, alongside his wife Margaret. In 1911 The Royal Scottish Academy received Hutchison's portrait by Sir William Quiller Orchardson, R.A., HRSA., as a bequest from Hutchison. This portrait was originally done in exchange for a sculpted head of Orchardson by Hutchison.

Career

Training

Hutchison lived, worked and died in Edinburgh. However his apprenticeship from age thirteen as a wood carver was served in a workshop on the top floor of a tenement (since demolished) on Edinburgh High Street near John Knox's Corner.''Aberdeen Press and Journal'', Tuesday 24 May 1910 p5 col2: Obituary: Mr John Hutchison RSA
/ref> This involved work on the estate at

Hospitalfield Trust Hospitalfield House is an arts centre and historic house in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland, regarded as "one of the finest country houses in Scotland". It is believed to be "Scotland's first school of fine art" and the first art college in Britain. I ...

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. Th ...

1849 to 1853 under the sculptor James Christie. At Hospitalfield he had the patronage of architect Patrick Allan Fraser who gave him commissions to fund his studies in Rome. Hutchison later became one of the Trustees of the Hospitalfield Trust. As an apprentice he also took evening classes in decorative and modelling,''Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer'', Tuesday 24 May 1910 p8 col4: Mr John Hutchison
/ref> before studying in the Antique and Life department under

Robert Scott Lauder Robert Scott Lauder (25 June 1803 – 21 April 1869) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a "historical painter". He was one of the original members of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Lauder was born at Silvermills, E ...

at the

, Edinburgh, from 1848. He joined its Sketching Club, and studied alongside

George Paul Chalmers George Paul Chalmers (1833 – 20 February 1878) was a Scottish landscape, marine, interior and portrait painter. Life Chalmers was born at Montrose, the son of a captain of a coastal vessel, and at the age of twenty he started to study at ...

John MacWhirter John MacWhirter (27 March 1839 in Slateford, Edinburgh - 28 January 1911 in London) was a Scottish landscape painter. Biography John was the third of four children. One of his elder sisters, Agnes Eliza MacWhirter, Agnes MacWhirter was also ...

and William Quiller Orchardson.National Galleries Scotland: George Paul Chalmers
/ref> In 1859–1860 and 1863 he studied in Rome under Alfred Gatty. He associated there with artists

Pietro Tenerani Pietro Tenerani (11 November 1789 – 16 December 1869) was an Italian sculptor of the Neoclassic style. Biography He was born in Torano, near Carrara. He initially trained with his maternal uncle, the sculptor Pietro Marchetti, and in 18 ...

Giovanni Dupré Giovanni Dupré (1 March 1817 – 10 January 1882) was an Italian sculptor, of distant French stock long settled in Tuscany, who developed a reputation second only to that of his contemporary Lorenzo Bartolini. Biography Born in Siena, Dupré ...

Hiram Powers Hiram Powers (July 29, 1805 – June 27, 1873) was an American neoclassical sculptor. He was one of the first 19th-century American artists to gain an international reputation, largely based on his famous marble sculpture ''The Greek Slave''. ...

, John Gibson, and

Lawrence Macdonald Lawrence Macdonald sometimes Laurence Macdonald (15 February 1799 – 4 March 1878) was a Scottish sculptor. Life Macdonald was born on 15 February 1799 at Findo Gask in Perthshire, Scotland to Margaret Morison and Alexander Macdonald, a vi ...

. He was a student at the Edinburgh School of Applied Art 1894–95, when already an established sculptor. His skills were in marble, wood and bronze.Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: Hutchison, John
/ref> Patrick Allan-Fraser - Self-portrait.jpg, Fraser the patron ... Hutchison by Orchardson (2).jpg, ... and Hutchison the student

Working life

Hutchison's sculpture yard stood at 3 Torphicen Place in Edinburgh's West End, and he lived with his family in a large Victorian flat at 19 Manor Place, slightly to the north of his studio. He exhibited in 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) from 1856 to 1902, and became an associate of the RSA in 1862, and a member in 1867.Oxford Art Online: Hutchison John
/ref> He acted as Librarian to the RSA from 1877 to 1886, and one of his early tasks was to arrange and classify the collection of prints bequeathed by David Laing. He was Honorary Treasurer from 1886 to 1907. On his retirement, he was presented with a silver hot-water jug and a Georgian silver salver in respect of their esteem, and his "long and devoted interest" in the Academy. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1862. Hutchison was involved in an early usage of

tintype A tintype, also known as a melainotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as the support for the photographic emulsion. Tintypes enjoyed their ...

photographs in the Courts, used to prove the death of the late Earl of Aberdeen and to allow for his brother to succeed the title. The petitioner Campbell Gordon wished to prove that his brother, Earl George Gordon, had travelled to America and enrolled as mate on the ship ''Hera'' under the name of George H. Osborne, then drowned at sea. Photographs of George taken in Scotland, and in America under his new name, were to be compared by artists as expert witnesses, and Hutchison was asked to be one of these. ''The Times '' said that he specialised in figures from "Scottish history and romance" and memorials of Scottish priests. By 1908, Hutchison has retired from the Royal Scottish Academy's exhibition "active list", implying that he had retired from creating public works. Robert Scott Lauder by Hutchison.JPG, ''

'' (1872) Sir Walter Scott by John Hutchison, copy after Sir Francis Chantrey, 1899, marble - Boston Public Library - Boston, MA - 20180602 134442.jpg, ''

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

'' (1899) in

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonwea ...

Works

Early work

Hutchison's first public work was executed in 1852, when he was twenty years old, for Patrick Allan Fraser HRSA. He "executed the woodcarvings and other decorations in relief for the picture gallery then in course of erection in Hospitalfield." The architect Fraser spent some years on this build, which provided much work for artisans. His other 1850s works included: ''Portrait Medallion'' (1856), his first of many entries in the Scottish Royal Academy's exhibitions. The next to be exhibited was the József Katona character ''Melinda'' (1857), then ''Bust of a Gentleman'' (1858), ''Bust of J.B. Macdonald, Esq.'' (1859), the

Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake ...

character ''Genevieve'' (1859) and the "colossal bust" of ''

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' (; modern no, Hardråde, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway from 1046 t ...

'' (1859) for

Lord Dufferin Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (21 June 182612 February 1902) was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Vict ...

Clandeboye Estate The Clandeboye Estate is a country estate in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, outside Belfast. Covering , it contains woodlands, formal and walled gardens, lawns, a lake, and of farmland. Named after the former Gaelic territory of Cland ...

After studying in Rome

By 1860, Hutchison had trained in Rome, and in October of that year was appointed teacher of ornamental modelling at the Watt Institution and School of Arts. He concentrated on portraits and busts, some with

ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...

themes. He exhibited a ''Bust of

'' Esq., HRSA, Sculptor (1860), and of ''

RSA'' (1859), both now in the

Scottish National Portrait Gallery The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. The gallery holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Co ...

.Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford McWilliam and Walker In the same year he produced portraits of ''Dr Farquharson'' father of

Joseph Farquharson Joseph Farquharson (4 May 1846 – 15 April 1935) was a Scottish painter, chiefly of landscapes in Scotland often including animals. He is most famous for his snowy winter landscapes, often featuring sheep and often depicting dawn or dusk. He ...

, his friend ''

John Phillip John Phillip (19 April 1817–1867) was a Victorian era Scottish painter best known for his portrayals of Spanish life. He started painting these studies after a trip to Spain in 1851. He was nicknamed John 'Spanish' Phillip. Life Born ...

, Esq., RA, HRSA'', and ''The late Sir George Harvey, PRSA''. in 1861 he executed ''Rome'' and ''A Roman Girl''. Then ''Biggs Andrew, Esq., QC'' and ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

'' were exhibited in 1862, followed by ''Mrs Learmonth'' in 1863. He showed ''Fanny, Daughter of

Thomas Faed Thomas Faed RSA (1826–1900) was a Scottish painter who is said to have done for Scottish art what Robert Burns did for Scottish song. Life Faed was born on 8 June 1826, at Barlay Mill in Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, and was th ...

, Esq., ARA, HRSA'' and ''Bonnye Kilmeny'' in 1864. ''Stella, a Roman Mother'' and ''Angelino, a Shepherd'' appeared in 1865. In 1866 he exhibited '' Mrs Richardson'', and ''A Roman Dancing Girl''. Another 1866 work was ''Adam Black, Esq.'', a marble bust and precursor to the later bronze. ''The Scotsman'' was "delighted to observed the excellence of the likeness generally, and the success with which the sculptor has conveyed the mingled expression of firmness and sagacity so characteristic of the original." The ''Dundee Courier'' declared that "the composition, plain and unsophisticated, devoid of all ornament, is in harmony with and fitly symbolises the life-long character of the original." 1867 saw the appearance of ''

James Ballantine James Ballantine (11 June 1806 – 18 December 1877) was a Scottish artist and author. His son, Alexander (1841–1906), later joined his stained-glass window business.

'', part of the ''Ballantine Testimonial'', and also ''A Lady'', and ''Bust of a Lady''. In 1868 he executed '' James Cox, Esq., Lochee'' and '' J. Whyte-Melville Esq., Bennochy, past Grand Master-Mason of Scotland.'' His ''

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

'' was exhibited in 1869. His ''Pasquccia, A Roman Contadina'' (1870), is in the

Greyfriars Kirk Greyfriars Kirk ( gd, Eaglais nam Manach Liath) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, located in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is surrounded by Greyfriars Kirkyard. Greyfriars traces its origin to the south-west parish of Edin ...

has his ''Angel of the Resurrection'' (1870) as part of the Robert Lee memorial, and Warriston Cemetery has his ''Monument to

'' (1870). His ''Tablet to Dr William Glover'' (1871) is at Greenside Church, Royal Terrace, and his ''Monument to David Allan'' (1874) is in Old Calton Burial Ground. He recarved the defaced portrait on the monument to William Carstares (d.1727) at

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

in 1876. During this decade he created two monumental statues: '' Adam Black'' (1877) in

Princes Street Gardens Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, ...

and ''

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

'' (1879) which is on Lochmaben High Street, Dumfries and Galloway; his birthplace. The latter shows Bruce holding court at the 1320 Great Convention of Estates, at

. Lawrence Macdonald by John Hutchison, SNPG.JPG, ''

'' (1860) Robert the Bruce statue at Lochmaben - geograph.org.uk - 1373935.jpg, ''

'' (1879)

Increasing reputation

Hutchison's increasing reputation is reflected in the number of larger commissions he received in the 1870s. They include statues, monuments and a bronze door. He began with '' Coll Macdonald Macdonald'' (1870), and ''James Falshaw, Esq., Forfar'' (1871). There was more work available in 1873, with ''The

Earl of Dalhousie Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. History The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617 ...

, KT, GCB'', ''The late Archibald Watson Goldie, Esq., WS'', ''Nina, a Roman study'', ''Peter Reid, Esq., Forfar'', ''Mrs Lockhart Thomson'', ''The late Sir James Y. Simpson, Bt, MD etc'', ''Emmie'', ''Mrs James Ballantine'', and ''The late William Glover, DD''. In 1874 he produced The ''Glee Maiden'' from the Fair Maid of Perth, ''Katie'', daughter of John MacLaren, Esq., Advocate, Sheriff in Chancery, and ''James Salmon, Esq., Architect, Glasgow'', while still perhaps preparing for the 1877 bronze, with ''The late Adam Black, Esq''. 1875 may have been taken up with this bronze, because he only exhibited '' Reverend Alexander Duff, DD, LLD'' in that year and in 1876 he had little time for anything else. In 1877 he was free to execute ''The late

George Dalziel The Brothers Dalziel (pronounced ) was a prolific wood-engraving business in Victorian London, founded in 1839 by George Dalziel. The Dalziel family In 1840, George (1 December 1815 – 4 August 1902) was joined in the business by his brother E ...

, Esq.'', ''John Clerk Brodie, Esq''., and the 17-foot centennial monument to ''James Carmichael'', engineer & inventor of the fan blast, unveiled in Albert Square, Dundee on 17 June. Carmichael sits reading a plan, with his inventions pictured on the plinth. In the same year he made the ''Design for an alter-tomb now being erected in marble'', and a ''Bronze Door of Mausoleum, perspective view''. In 1878 he again exhibited a version of ''The late Adam Black''; also '' Duncan McLaren, Esq., MP'', and ''A Young Lady''. In 1879 he showed ''A Portrait'', ''Henry Simpson Esq.'', ''Rev. George R. Davidson, DD'', and ''The late William Jenkyns, MA'', killed in defence of the British Residency, Cabul. In the 1880s there were busts and memorials. He executed the ''Marble Monument to

'' 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 o ...

in 1880. In 1882 he contributed three or four stone figures to the

Scott Monument The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana. It stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, oppo ...

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (thr ...

including Baron Bradwardine, The Glee Maiden and Flora MacIvor, plus "eight heads in relief for the relic room." Four busts followed this: ''Sir James Falshaw'' (1871) exhibited again, ''

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the ...

'' (1882), ''

Charles Wyville Thomson Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (5 March 1830 – 10 March 1882) was a Scottish natural historian and marine zoologist. He served as the chief scientist on the Challenger expedition; his work there revolutionized oceanography and led to his knigh ...

'' (1883), in the Playfair Library, Edinburgh University, '' William Robertson'' (1883) at

and '' William Lindsay Alexander'' (1885) in Augustine Congregational Church, George IV Bridge. In 1887 he made the gilded ''Figure of Youth''. There followed a ''Bust of Sir

Douglas Maclagan Sir Andrew Douglas Maclagan PRSE FRCPE FRCSE FCS FRSSA (17 April 1812, in Ayr – 5 April 1900, in Edinburgh) was a Scottish surgeon, toxicologist and scholar of medical jurisprudence. He served as president of 5 learned societies: the Ro ...

'' (1887), now in the Playfair Library, Edinburgh University, and the ''Head of Sir John Clerk Brodie'' (1888) for his grave in

. The 1880s was a very busy year. In 1880 he produced ''Marietta, a Roman girl'', ''The late George Paul Chalmers, RSA'', ''Bust of a Gentleman'', ''The Late Adam Black'', Lord Provost & MP for Edinburgh, ''Katie'', ''Stella'', ''Pasquccia'', study from life at Rome, '' The late D. O. Hill, RSA'' after Patric Park, ''The Late Dr Robert Lee'', and the ''Roman Dancing Girl Reposing''. Bust of Duncan McLaren, Edinburgh City Chambers.jpg, ''

Duncan McLaren Duncan McLaren (12 January 1800 – 26 April 1886) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician and political writer. He served as a member of the burgh council of Edinburgh, then as Lord Provost, then as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Edinbu ...

'' (1878) Figure of Youth on the dome of Old College Edinburgh.JPG, ''Figure of Youth'' (1887) Memorial to John Clerk Brodie, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh by John Hutchison RSA.jpg, ''Memorial to John Clerk Brodie'' at

, Edinburgh

Queen Victoria's commissions and public recognition

In 1881, Hutchison exhibited '' King Robert the Bruce'', and in 1882 ''The Late

William Rutherford Sanders William Rutherford Sanders FRSE (17 February 1828 – 18 February 1881) was a 19th-century Scottish pathologist. He was one of the first to advocate the use of digitalis in heart conditions. He served as President of the Royal Medical Society 1 ...

'', Professor of Pathology, Edinburgh University. In 1883 he showed ''Bust of a Gentleman'', ''The Late Rt Hon. Lady Moncrieff'', ''The Reverend

Robert Herbert Story Robert Herbert Story (28 January 1835 – 13 January 1907) was a Scottish divine and Principal of the University of Glasgow. He attained the highest position in the Scottish church as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland i ...

, DD,'' Rosneath, and '' Lord McLaren''. '' Sir J. Noel Paton, RSA'' and Her Majesty's

Limner A limner is an illuminator of manuscripts, or more generally, a painter of ornamental decoration. One of the earliest mentions of a limner's work is found in the book ''Methods and Materials of Painting'' by Charles Lock Eastlake (1793–1865). ...

for Scotland were produced in 1884, along with ''R. Roy Paterson, Esq''., '' The Late Sir Charles Wyville Thomson'', ''The Late J. A. Lake Gloag, Esq''., and ''The Late Rt Hon. Fox Maule, Earl of Dalhousie etc'' in Dundee chamber of commerce. In 1885 he created ''The Late Sir Henry Wellwood Moncrieff, Bart, DD''. in 1886 he executed ''The Late Arthur Perigal, RSA'', '' Il Condottiere'', A study from life at Rome, '' William McEwan, Esq''., and '' The Late Dr Lindsay Alexander''. In 1887 he produced ''Dante'' in bronze, ''Professor Sir Douglas Maclagan, MD'', President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, ''The Late John Baxter, Esq.'', Edinburgh, and ''The Late Very Rev. Principal Tulloch, DD, LLD'', the Queen's chaplain and Dean of the Order of the Thistle (made for the Queen and now in

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

). By 1888 he could be said to have arrived, because after showing ''Bust of a Lady'' and '' Sir Charles U. Aitchison, KCSI'', late Lieut-Governor of the Punjab, he produced ''The Late Dr Rev. Norman McLeod, LLD, etc'', the Queen's chaplain and another one of several works commissioned by Queen Victoria and now in Windsor Castle. In 1887 he completed a bust of ''

Her Majesty the Queen The precise style of British sovereigns has varied over the years. style is officially proclaimed in two languages:UK ParliamentRoyal Titles Act 1953(1 & 2 Eliz. 2 c. 9) Proclamation of 28 May 1953 made in accordance with the Royal Titles Act 195 ...

'' and of her consort Prince Albert, presented to the Victoria Art Galleries, Dundee by ex-Provost Ballingall, in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year. In 1889 he was commissioned by the Queen to create a memorial to the Royal Stewarts in

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a forme ...

: "a recumbent sculptured cross of

Peterhead Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

, on which will rest a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

cross of Sicilian marble." It was to be installed in September 1889. The same year, he exhibited ''A Torch Racer'' which had been the model for the 1887 Figure of Youth. In the 1890s his commissions were reflecting public recognition. In 1893 he carved figures on the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, including John Knox on the west side of the building. The bronze statue of ''

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

'' (1895) in the central quadrangle of New College is his. The ''Dundee Advertiser'' said: "This sculptor had a great wish to execute a statue of Knox, and for two years previously had worked at it as a relief from more pressing work." The sculptor unveiled it himself in front of a large crowd on 21 May.''Dundee Advertiser'', Friday 22 May 1896 p6 col2: The Knox memorial in Edinburgh
/ref> His marble ''Bust of

'' (1897) in

is an homage to that of Sir

Francis Chantrey Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey (7 April 1781 – 25 November 1841) was an English sculptor. He became the leading portrait sculptor in Regency era Britain, producing busts and statues of many notable figures of the time. Chantrey's most notable w ...

Abbotsford House Abbotsford is a historic country house in the Scottish Borders, near Galashiels, on the south bank of the River Tweed. Now open to the public, it was built as the residence of historical novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott between 1817 and 1825 ...

. This bust was commissioned and funded by The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club. By 1890 he was 68 years old, and producing as much as ever. That year, he exhibited ''The late Dr

Andrew Combe Andrew Combe (27 October 17979 August 1847) was a Scottish physician and phrenologist. Life Combe was born in Edinburgh on 27 October 1797, the son of Marion (née Newton) and George Combe (1745-1816), a brewer, and was a younger brother of ...

'', ''The late Hon. Lord Fraser'', ''The late John Grigor, MD'', Nairn, and the head of ''Dante'' in marble. At the RSA Exhibition in 1890 his ''Grigor'' was the most conspicuous piece: "an entirely realistic figure in bronze, with pilot-jacket overcoat, with wide-awake hat, as in life." 1891 brought ''Bust of a Lady'', ''William Tod, Esq.'', and ''The Late William Wright, LLD'', Professor of Arabic, Cambridge University. In 1892 he produced

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ...

in the role of ''Hamlet'', ''Baillie Harris'' and ''Miss Harris'' in the

High School of Dundee The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in Dundee, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils. Its foundation has been dated to 1239, and it is the only priv ...

, '' Sir Douglas Maclagan, MD, etc''., and ''Study of a Girl's Head''. 1893 brought more memorials, besides portraits to be presented with testaments. These were ''The Late J. F. MacLennan, LLD'', Advocate, ''La Penserosa'' in reference to a poem by

Louise Colet Louise Colet (15 August 1810 – 9 March 1876), born Louise Revoil de Servannes, was a French poet and writer. Life and works She was born at the hôtel d'Antoine ( fr) in Aix-en-Provence in France. In her twenties she married Hippolyt ...

, ''The Late Mrs Barbour of Bonskied'', ''The Late Alexander Kilgour, MD'', Aberdeen, and ''Bust of a lady''. The private commissions continued throughout 1894, with ''James Carmichael'', Engineer, Dundee, ''Miss Ethel Campbell Smith'', ''Bust of a Lady'' and '' The Regent Murray''. His life must have become more interesting in 1895, because some projects had scope for invention: ''Agriculture'', ''Engineering'', and ''Study for a Head of a Colossal Statue''. Perhaps now he could afford not to accept so many private commissions by 1896. In that year he made or exhibited ''The late Charles Jenner, Esq.'', and ''Pasquccia, Roman study'', and ''Study of a Girl's Head''. In 1897 he showed '' William McEwan, Esq., MP'', ''

George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...

'', humanist and reformer, and ''The late Charles U. Aitchison, KCSI'', Lieut-Governor of the Punjab, for the

Aitchison College Aitchison College ( ur, ایچیسن کالج) is an independent, semi-private boys school for boarding and day students from grade 1–13 in Lahore, Pakistan. It has a tradition of providing an education that uses academics, sports, and co-curri ...

, Lahore. In 1898 he created ''Dante'', Ravenna. His portrait of ''Professor George James Allman'' is undated, but Allman died in 1898. Douglas Maclagan by John Hutchison.jpg, ''

'' (1887) Tombstone of Royal Stewarts at Paisley Abbey.JPG, ''Royal Stewarts memorial'' (1889) at Paisley Abbey Statue of John Knox in New College Edinburgh.JPG, ''

'' (1895), New College Edinburgh

Last years

In his last decade, Hutchison exhibited only until 1905, and to begin with in 1900 he only showed one work: ''The late Professor William Rutherford, MD, FRS'', Professor of Physiology, Edinburgh University. In 1901 he showed three works from previous years: ''Pasquecia'', ''Her late Majesty the Queen'', and ''Il Condottiere'', besides new works including ''The

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

'', ''Rev. David Macrae'', '' Aeneas J. G. Mackay, Esq., KC'', Sheriff of Fife & Kinross and Henrietta. In 1902 he again showed ''Bust of lady'' and ''Study of a Roman Girl'', along with the new work ''James Grahame'', Marquis of Montrose. In 1903 he produced '' Thomas Aird'', and ''A Florentine''. In 1905 he showed his last exhibited work, ''Sir

John Batty Tuke Sir John Batty Tuke PRCPE FRSE LLD (9 January 1835 – 13 October 1913) was one of the most influential psychiatrists in Scotland in the late nineteenth century, and a Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1910. Tuke's career in Edi ...

, MD, MP''.

Anecdotes from his career

Adam Black statue incident

Hutchison was contracted to have his Adam Black statue completed within nine months of commission, but an accident happened in July 1876, delaying completion until the following year. The full-sized Tinto clay model, for the mould in which to cast this "massive"

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

, took eight months of "arduous labour" to complete by the evening of Friday 14 July; a hot night of 90 degrees

Fahrenheit The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accounts of how he originally defined hi ...

. His assistant moistened the clay that evening, but by seven a.m. the front of the model had exploded off its framework. ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

'' reported:

"It was found a hideous ruin, great masses of clay having fallen away so as to expose the wooden framework on which the model had been built. The left arm lay on the floor at some little distance; the left hand side and upper half of the left leg, with a considerable portion of the front of the figure, were entirely gone; while the parts that remained showed several yawning cracks, with the exception of the head, which fortunately had escaped quite uninjured."

It was speculated that as the framework and its supporting iron bar were intact, internal expansion of hot air had done the damage. The memorial committee granted an extension.''The Scotsman'', Thursday 20 July 1876 p4 col4: The black memorial
/ref>

''Figure of Youth'' incident

In 1887 he made the gilded ''Figure of Youth'' which crowns the dome on Old College. Adam Hall was the model for this allegory of the ideal student brandishing the Torch of Knowledge, and he was also a burglar. He was charged and sentenced to three months in the Edinburgh Sheriff Criminal Court for breaking a window and desk lock on 11 June and stealing a watch, ring and £4 10s from Hutchison's studio.''Edinburgh Evening News'', Thursday 7 September 1893 p3 col2: Burglary by an artist's model
/ref>

Queen's portrait bust incident

In 1887 he completed a bust of ''

'', and of her consort Prince Albert, presented to the Victoria Art Galleries, Dundee by ex-Provost Ballingall, in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year. Many years later, after Hutchison had died, ''The Scotsman'' told this story: "One day, after the sitting, the Queen stood by the clay model as it was nearing completion, and gave her kindly criticism upon it. "Don't you think," said Her Majesty, "that this is a little prominent?" pointing to a part of the chin, and as she did so she placed her thumb, artist-like, on to the clay, which yielded to her touch. The sculptor took care that the mark Queen Victoria had left on her own bust was not effaced, and that it was duly carved in the more enduring marble." Adam Black Statue Edinburgh.jpg, '' Adam Black'' (1877) in

Figure of Youth (3).jpg, ''Figure of Youth'' (1887) Victoria and Albert by Hutchison.JPG, ''

and her consort Prince Albert'' (1887)

Notes

References

External links

Royal Scottish Academy, ''Catalogue of the Library, Royal Scottish Academy, compiled by John Hutchison'', Edinburgh University Press, 1878
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchison, John 1832 births 1910 deaths Artists from Edinburgh Scottish sculptors Scottish male sculptors 20th-century British sculptors 19th-century British sculptors Artists of the Boston Public Library