James Pittendrigh Macgillivray by Benno Schotz 1922

The grave of James Pittendrigh MacGillivray

The grave of Alexander Allan, shipbuilder, Glasgow Necropolis

James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856 – 29 April 1938) was a Scottish sculptor. He was also a keen artist, musician and poet. He was born in

Inverurie Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about north-west of Aberdeen. Geography Inverurie is in the vall ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

, the son of a sculptor, and studied under

William Brodie William Brodie (28 September 1741 – 1 October 1788), often known by his title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of a trades guild, and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a housebreaker, partly for ...

and

John Mossman John G. Mossman (London 1817–1890) was one of a number of English sculptors who dominated the production and teaching of sculpture in Glasgow for 50 years after his arrival with his father and brothers from his native London in 1828. His fa ...

. His works include public statues of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

in Aberdeen, the 3rd Marquess of Bute in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

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 ...

in Edinburgh's

St Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

, and

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

in Coates Crescent Gardens, Edinburgh. After training under Brodie 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 ...

, Macgillivray worked for nine years in

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 ...

as assistant to Mossman and James Steel. In 1894 he returned to Edinburgh, where he lived at "Ravelston Elms" on Murrayfield Road. Macgillivray was a

Scottish nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into t ...

, and associated both with

Patrick Geddes Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a British biologist, sociologist, Comtean positivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning ...

Fin de Siècle () is a French term meaning "end of century,” a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom "turn of the century" and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without context ...

Scottish cultural revival and

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...

's later

Scottish Renaissance The Scottish Renaissance ( gd, Ath-bheòthachadh na h-Alba; sco, Scots Renaissance) was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid-20th century that can be seen as the Scotland, Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as ...

movement. He contributed illustrations to the Spring and Autumn volumes of ''The Evergreen: A Northern Seasonal'' published by Patrick Geddes and Colleagues in Edinburgh in 1895. He became a member of the Scottish Arts Club in the late 1890s. His work was influenced greatly by Pictish designs, and these are on display in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

Alloway Alloway ( gd, Allmhaigh, ) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the cons ...

village hall contains his sculpture of

. He became a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1901 and designed the Academicians' robes. He was appointed the King's

Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland The Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland is a member of the Royal household in Scotland. The first appointment was made by Queen Victoria around 1838, although it was not listed as a member of the Royal household until the 1870s. The office was made ...

in 1921. He was influential in the development of Arts teaching in Scotland, being associated with the establishment of

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 ...

. In 1904 he wrote a Special Report on the Schools of Art in Scotland and in 1906 a report on the creation of a Municipal Art School in Edinburgh, drawing on his knowledge of practice in Brussels, Berlin and Paris. MacGillivray also published two volumes of

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

in Scots – ''Pro Patria'' in 1915 and ''Bog Myrtle and Peat Reek'' in 1922. He was a member of

Glasgow Art Club Glasgow Art Club is a club for artists and lay members with an interest in the arts, that has become over the generations "a meeting place for artists, business leaders and academics".Glasgow Boys The Glasgow School was a circle of influential artists and designers that began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to around 1910. Representative groups included The Four (also known as the Spook School ...

. On the evening of 28 October 1932 the Club hosted a dinner in his honour (with fellow honoree fellow club member James B. Anderson ARSA.) He was also a co-founder with James Paterson, E.A. Hornel and George Henry of "The Scottish Arts Review". He is buried in the tiny

Gogar Gogar is a predominantly rural area of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north. Etymology The name of Gogar first appears in a clearly ...

Kirkyard, close to the

Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...

headquarters at

Gogarburn Gogar is a predominantly rural area of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north. Etymology The name of Gogar first appears in a clea ...

, with his wife Frieda who died in 1910. The grave is of his own design, depicting them side by side. Their daughters Ina MacGillivray (1887–1917) and Ehrna (1892–1966) are buried with them. Memorial to Mrs Oliphant in St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh

Memorial to Mrs Oliphant in St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh

Pupils

Pupils include sculptor

Ottilie Maclaren Wallace Ottilie Helen McLaren (or MacLaren) Wallace (2 August 1875 – 17 October 1947) was a sculptor, a pupil of Auguste Rodin and an Associate Member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. Early life Ottilie Helen McLaren was the youngest dau ...

Notable works

*Statue of

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of t ...

in Cathedral Square,

(1875) as assistant to main sculptor:

*Statue of

Thomas Campbell (poet) Thomas Campbell (27 July 177715 June 1844) was a Scottish poet. He was a founder and the first President of the Clarence Club and a co-founder of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland; he was also one of the initiators of a plan to ...

in George Square

(1875–77) still as assistant to

the main sculptor. *Portrait bust of Joseph Crawhall, one of the "

Glasgow Boys The Glasgow School was a circle of influential artists and designers that began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to around 1910. Representative groups included The Four (also known as the Spook School ...

" (1881) *Figures over the inner loggia (west) on

Glasgow City Chambers The City Chambers or Municipal Buildings in Glasgow, Scotland, has functioned as the headquarters of Glasgow City Council since 1996, and of preceding forms of municipal government in the city since 1889. It is located on the eastern side of the ...

(1886) *Monument to Peter Stewart, engineer, in

Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

(1887) *Monument to Alexander McCall in

(1888) *Monument to Margaret and Annie Brown in

Cathcart Cemetery Cathcart Cemetery is a cemetery in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, which was opened in 1876 . It is named after the nearby neighbourhood of Cathcart on the southern outskirts of Glasgow, but does not actually fall within the city boundaries, instea ...

Cathcart Cathcart ( sco, Kithcart, gd, Coille Chart)
is an are ...

, Glasgow (1888) *Bust of Rev James Shanks in

Maryhill Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road. The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station. History Hew Hill, t ...

Parish Church (1889) (demolished 1998) *Typanum relief group on Anderson's Medical College, 56 Dumbarton Road,

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and to t ...

(1889–1890) (commissioned by

James Sellars James Sellars (2 December 1843 – 9 October 1888) was a Scottish architect who was heavily influenced by the work of Alexander Greek Thomson. Life He was born in the Gorbals in Glasgow, son of James Sellars, house factor and Elizabeth ...

its architect. This depicts the 16th century physician Peter Lowe with his students. plus a pair of winged figures. *Monument to Annie Greenhill in

(1889) *Portrait bust of

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

(1889) *Monument to Sir James Robertson in

(1889) * Figures of the Engineer and Shipwright on

Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a Scottish shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy ...

Office (1890) *Monument to

architect and his friend,

Lambhill Lambhill is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde, approximately north of the city centre. Lambhill is a mainly residential area comprising both council and private housing. Residents are of a mixed ...

Cemetery, Glasgow (1890) his bronze relief portrait was sadly stolen. *Medallion of Peter Lowe in

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...

(1893) *Portrait bust in white marble of Saul Solomon, Cape Colony MP and businessman, in the Parliament of South Africa, Cape Town (1893) *Huge monument to Alexander Allan and his family,

(1894–99) granite sections by Alexander McDonald of Aberdeen *Statue of

(1895) *Medallion of

Edward Caird Edward Caird (; 23 March 1835 – 1 November 1908) was a Scottish philosopher. He was a holder of LLD, DCL, and DLitt. Life The younger brother of the theologian John Caird, he was the son of engineer John Caird, the proprietor of Caird ...

in Glasgow University (1897) *Bust of Prof

David Masson David Mather Masson LLD DLitt (2 December 18226 October 1907), was a Scottish academic, supporter of women's suffrage, literary critic and historian. Biography He was born in Aberdeen, the son of William Masson, a stone-cutter, and his wi ...

Old College, University of Edinburgh Old College is a late 18th-century to early 19th-century building of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on South Bridge, and presently houses parts of the University's administration, the University of Edinburgh School of Law, ...

(1897) *Monument to

James Hedderwick James Hedderwick LLD (1814–1897) was a Scottish poet, journalist and newspaper proprietor. He founded the famous Glasgow newspaper, the ''Evening Citizen''. Life He was born on 18 January 1814 in Govan just west of Glasgow, the third son of J ...

(1901) *

Livingstone Medal The Livingstone Medal is awarded by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in recognition of outstanding service of a humanitarian nature with a clear geographical dimension. This was awarded first in 1901. Named after the African explorer David L ...

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

(1901) *Reclining marble effigy of James Francis Montgomery in St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh (1902) *Statue of

in Aberdeen (1902) * William Gladstone Memorial in Edinburgh (1902) assisted by William Shirreffs and (briefly)

Louis Deuchars Louis Reid Deuchars (1870–1927) was a Scottish artist and sculptor. Life He was born on 12 April 1870 in Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. He attended Glasgow School of Art from 1887 to 1888. During his time in the city he was working as a s ...

*Statue of

, Edinburgh (1902) * Statue of the 3rd

Marquess of Bute Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute, John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute. Family history John Stuart ...

(1902) *Portrait medallion of

Henry Drummond (evangelist) Henry Drummond FRSE FGS (17 August 1851 – 11 March 1897) was a Scottish evangelist, biologist, writer and lecturer. Many of his writings were too adapted to the needs of his own day to justify the expectation that they would long survive it ...

on the Henry Drummond Memorial Fountain at

Kelvingrove Park Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. History Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and ...

Gates (1902...now lost) *Sculpted figures on

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 ...

Public Library (1904) *Medallion of

in the Free Church College, Edinburgh (1905) *Portrait head in low relief of

Margaret Oliphant Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (born Margaret Oliphant Wilson; 4 April 1828 – 20 June 1897) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. Her fictional works cover "domestic realism, the historical nove ...

(1828–1897)

(1908) *Grave for his wife Frieda in

Churchyard (1910) *

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his ...

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 ...

(1921)

References

External links

Electric Scotland bio of Macgillivray

GlasgowSculpture's page on Macgillivray
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macgillivray, James Pittendreigh Scottish sculptors Scottish male sculptors 1856 births 1938 deaths People from Inverurie Royal Scottish Academicians 19th-century British sculptors 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century Scottish poets Scottish male poets 20th-century British male writers Scottish Renaissance