Bust of Roman lady
This classicised marble bust of an unnamed lady represents one of the most beautiful and detailed pieces in the College’s collection. The bust displays the sculptor John Hutchison’s particular attention to detail, for instance in his depiction of the hair and clothing of the subject.
There is no extant information on the subject of this bust and it is likely that this female figure represents Hutchison's own recurring interest in sculpting busts and statues of classical female characters, rather than a subject who has a particular link with the college or medical history. Nevertheless, this piece represents the only nineteenth century bust depicting a female subject in the College’s collection, with the only other female bust being a late twentieth century depiction of the Queen Mother.
John Hutchinson (1832-1910)
John Hutchison (c.1832 - 1910), who can sometimes be found recorded as Hutchinson, was an Edinburgh-born sculptor who began his career as an apprentice wood carver. By 1848 he was studying at the Trustees Academy and the following year he spent time studying in Rome. Hutchison worked in wood, bronze and marble, usually creating portrait figures, busts and statues.
Amongst his works are three figures which appear on the Scott Monument (Baron Bradwardine, The Glee Maiden and Flora MacIvor) as well as the huge statue of John Knox which resides in the New College of the University of Edinburgh.
Within the collection of the RCPE Hutchison was responsible for the busts of Sir John Batty Tuke and the Roman Lady. Whilst Tuke is depicted in contemporary style, the Roman Lady represents Hutchison's recurring interest in depicting classical female figures.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of John Richmond (1926-2008)
This bronze bust was made by Elsie McPhie circa 1980. The piece is sculpted from bronze and is mounted on a marble base. Richmond is depicted from the neck up, in contrast to the majority of busts in the collection which usually contain a section of the shoulders. McPhie appears, in this work at least, to be influenced by realism and her work offers the opportunity to compare the nineteenth century busts which dominate the College’s collection, with a more modern, twentieth century bust.
John Richmond (1926 - 2008)
Richmond studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying with a distinction in July 1948. During the Second World War he was called up and spent the majority of his National Service as Medical Offer to the 1st Nyasaland Battalion of the King’s African Rifles based in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia.
In 1953 he was working at the Royal Infirmary and was encouraged to develop his interest in haematology and oncology, spending a year as a Fulbright Scholar in New York at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, becoming a Senior Lecturer in Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician in 1693. His research focussed principally on the disorders of the spleen although he was also acknowledged for his all-round excellence in clinical practice.
Richmond also became a Professor and Dean of the medical school at the University of Sheffield as well as Senior Censor and Vice-President at the Royal College of Physicians of London. From 1988-1991 he was also president of the RCPE.
Elsie McPhie
Elsie McPhie was responsible for the bust of John Richmond in the College's collection. McPhie was acquainted with Richmond as she was the wife of his Church Elder in Sheffield. Her bust of Richmond suggests an interest in realism which contrasts with the idealising styles of some of the nineteenth century sculptors whose works are to be found in the College's collection.
c1980
Bust of Richard Poole (died 1870)
It is not known who sculpted this neoclassical-style plaster bust. However, the College Minutes of 3 May 1868 record that a letter had been received from Mrs Sandeman of Glasgow, one of Poole’s daughters stating that:
Some years ago there was a very good likeness taken of my dear Father, Dr. Poole, in the form of a Bust. I got one for myself, and as to it, he has expressed a wish that I should give it to the RCPE and I have much pleasure in acceding to his desire. It is in the house of my Sister Mrs. Kirkwood and as she is to remove to Coupar Angus, I should have it sent to the College on hearing from you that such a thing would be received and valued. You may be aware my Father is now in his 86th year but I am sorry to say very frail in mind and body.
Richard Poole (1780/3 - 1870)
Edinburgh-born Poole obtained his MD from St Andrews University in 1805. He became a fellow of the college in 1825 and established a private medical practice in the city. Poole was closely involved in College affairs as councillor and honorary librarian. He also assumed the role of historian and the College still possesses his preparatory notes for a history of the College which were also later utilised by Craig in his history of the RCPE (1980).
Poole became physician to the Royal Public Dispensary and developed a particular interest in mental illness. This was reflected in his appointment as medical superintendent at the Royal Lunatic Asylum at Montrose, a position which he held until 1845. Following this he purchased Middlefield House, a small private asylum near Aberdeen and he managed this facility until shortly before his death.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of James George Playfair (1786-1856)
This marble bust is the work of the American sculptor, Hiram Powers, who moved to Florence with his family in 1837, in order to improve his work in marble. Soon after moving to Florence Powers’ first child, James Gibson Powers, died at the age of four. James G. Playfair was one of the physicians who attended Powers’ son as well as frequently providing medical care for other members of the family. As an act of gratitude Powers offered to model Playfair, and he gave the doctor a copy of his original depiction before he returned to England in 1845, this is the marble bust which can be seen in the college today. This particular bust is strikingly similar to Powers’ plaster head of Dr Playfair which is held in the Smithsonian collection and which may have been the initial model on which the College’s marble bust was based.
The College’s council minutes of 14 May 1860 record that the bust had been received when: ‘Miss Playfair had bequeathed to the College the marble bust of her brother the late Dr. James George Playfair, a fellow of this College’.
James George Playfair (1756-1856)
Playfair graduated with an MD from the University of Edinburgh in 1819 and became LRCSE in 1810 as well as MRCS (Eng.) in 1821.
During his career Playfair worked in both Florence and England, dying in London in 1856.
Hiram Powers (1817-1873)
Hiram Powers was a Vermont born sculptor who rose to fame in the nineteenth century. He initially worked in the workshop of a clock and organ maker, and then in Cincinnati's Western Museum where he made and repaired wax figures, including his famous automated depiction of Dante’s Inferno. In 1837 he moved to Florence with his wife and children with the intention of learning how to translate clay and plaster works into marble.
However, as Powers became more successful he decided to remain in Florence where he could work with the skilled Italian carvers whose abilities could not be matched in the United States. In 1845 Powers' most famous work the Greek Slave, went on exhibition for the first time in London before touring America. It is this work, an ideal neoclassical statue, which is credited with initiating appreciation of the nude in art in America. Throughout his career Powers also sculpted over one hundred portrait busts of high-profile members of society, such as President Andrew Jackson.
In the 1850s his reputation declined somewhat, nonetheless his workshop remained open for a further four years after his death, until 1877, when the age of the workmen and the disputes between two of his sons, who were running the workshop, forced its closure.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of Alexander Monro secundus (1733-1817)
This plaster bust provides a naturalistic depiction of Monro in contemporary dress, possibly wearing his academic robe.
There is a strong possibility that this plaster bust is a copy of the marble bust of Monro secundus, held in the collection of the University of Edinburgh, which may have been sculpted by William Scoular (1796 – 1854).
Alexander Monro secundus (1733 - 1817)
In 1745, at the age of twelve, Monro secundus matriculated into the University of Edinburgh and by 1750 he was attending medical lectures. Monro secundus was destined to be his father’s (Alexander Monro primus) successor. By the time he received his medical degree from the university in 1755 he had already been teaching his father’s summer anatomy course for around two years and had held the position of professor of anatomy conjointly with his father since June 1754.
Like his father Monro was a highly successful lecturer, praised for his clarity and comprehensive arguments. Moreover, he became the acknowledged leader of the expanding Edinburgh medical school. Beyond the medical school Monro also possessed his own private medical practice and was a manager of the Royal Infirmary established by his father. He was also one of the earliest fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a commissioner with responsibilities for cleansing and other duties in the city.
Monro’s De venis lymphaticis valvulosis (1757) proved highly controversial with William Hunter arguing that Monro, his former pupil, had stolen the ideas of the work from his lectures. Nonetheless, Monro is noted for his other significant work on the lymphatic and nervous systems, particularly the interventricular foramen (the foramen of Monro), which were described in his Observations on the Structure and Functions of the Nervous System (1783). He is also noted for the Monro-Kellie doctrine and his work in comparative anatomy.
In 1718 Monro’s son Alexander Monro tertius (1773-1859) became conjoint professor with his father and in 1798 Monro secundus retired from teaching, thus leaving the position to his son.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of Alexander Monro primus (1697-1767)
This plaster bust presents a formal portrayal of Alexander Monro primus. He is depicted wearing a wig, in contemporary dress (in contrast to the classical garments of some of the other busts in the collection) and it is possible that his outer garment is his academic robe.
It is possible that this bust is a copy of John Flaxman's marble bust of Monro which is held in the collections of the University of Edinburgh. John Flaxman (1755 - 1826) was a sculptor, decorative designer and illustrator whose most famous work was the neo-classical Fury of Athamas.
Both Flaxman's bust of Monro and the plaster bust in the RCPE's collection display considerable similarities with Allan Ramsay's portrait of Monro which is in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. This portrait was also replicated as an engraving by J. Basire. This engraving subsequently appeared on the frontispiece of the 1781 edition of The Works of Alexander Monro, which was edited by Monro's son, Alexander Monro secundus. In both images, particularly the portrait, the depiction of Monro, including the fine details such as the folds in his coat and necktie, are highly similar if not identical to those depicted in the bust. Monro also appears in the roundel portraits in the Great Hall in a depiction which shows some similarities with this bust.
Alexander Monro primus (1697-1767)
Alexander Monro primus was the son of an army surgeon who studied at the University of Edinburgh (1710-1713), before travelling to London, Paris and Leiden to further his medical studies. Monro returned to Edinburgh in September 1719 and the following year he was appointed Professor of Anatomy by the town council. Significantly, Monro, unlike his predecessors, was clearly defined as a university chair and many historians view this appointment as marking the beginning of the University of Edinburgh's medical school.
From 1720 until 1758 Monro taught an annual anatomy course running from October to May and consisting of over 100 lectures. The course was popular from the beginning and by the 1740s it was attracting almost 150 students per annum. During this period Edinburgh came to rival medical centres such as Leiden and began to attract students from as far away as America. Monro's anatomy course was initially taught in the Surgeons’ Hall anatomy theatre; however Monro and his students came under suspicion of grave robbing which led to a public riot outside the Surgeons’ Hall. Consequently, Monro’s teaching moved to a more secure location within the University of Edinburgh.
In 1729 Monro established the Hospital for the Sick Poor, which provided six beds in a rented house in Robertson’s Close, off Cowgate. Significantly, the hospital provided the opportunity for Edinburgh medical students to obtain a clinical training, a move which may have been influenced by Monro’s time studying with Herman Boerhaave in Leiden. In 1736 the establishment was chartered as the Royal Infirmary by George II and in 1741 it moved to a larger building designed by William Adam.
Monro’s major work was The Anatomy of the Humane Bones, a commentary on his anatomical demonstrations. This popular work was translated into French (1759) and went through eight editions during his lifetime, followed by three more after his death. Further to this Monro also wrote on the nervous system and the reciprocal motion of the heart.
In 1781 he was awarded an MD (honoris causa) by the University of Edinburgh. He died in 1767 and is buried in Greyfriars. However, his family continued to dominate the Edinburgh medical school. Monro’s son (Alexander Monro secundus) and grandson (Alexander Monro tertius) both subsequently held the Chair of Professor of Anatomy. In total therefore the Monro dynasty held unbroken control of the position (initially the Chair of Anatomy, which became the Chair of Medicine, Anatomy and Surgery in 1777) for a total of 126 years.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan (1812-1900)
The bust depicting Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan can be found outside the Sibbald Library. There are detailed records detailing how the College came into possession of this bust in 1914. In a letter to the RCPE Dr Robert Craig MacLagan wrote that:
I learned a few days ago that the college possesses a terra-cotta copy of the bust of my father the late Sir Douglas MacLagan, by Hutchison and now in the University. I was further told that to make it in some sort uniform with those in marble it had to be white washed. I went to see it, and after inspection I have determined to offer the College a copy in marble.
According to another letter from Robert the aforementioned copy of the university’s Hutchison bust was ready by 31 March 1914. The College's records do not indicate who was responsible for this copy of Hutchison's 1887 original.
Nonetheless, once this bust was completed, Robert was concerned that the old terracotta bust of his father would not be left anywhere near the new marble bust and he told the College that he would ‘see at once to the delivering of the latter’ once they had decided where the older bust was to be placed. Consequently, the College decided to send the terracotta bust to Robert as ‘The College would wish you to deal with the plaster cast entirely as you may wish’. The new marble bust, which depicts MacLagan wearing his university robe, was in position by 7 April 1914 according to the council minutes of that date.
Alongside this piece the College also possesses a bust of MacLagan by John Steell.
Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan (1812 - 1900)
MacLagan obtained his M.D. in 1833 and he was licentiate (1831) and later fellow (1833) of the Royal College of Surgeons. After a period studying on the continent he returned to Edinburgh where he was appointed assistant surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Like his father, David MacLagan, (whose bust is also in the college's collection), Douglas MacLagan held, at different times, both the presidency of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons; he was also president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1890 – 1895). Both the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow bestowed the degree of LLD on him and he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1886.
MacLagan was particularly interested in therapeutics, analytical chemistry and toxicology and eventually abandoned surgery to become an extra-mural lecturer in material medica. He was later appointed professor of medical jurisprudence and public health in 1862, holding this position for 34 years. His teaching on public hygiene and public health administration were particularly important in light of the 1875 Public Health Act. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the department for skin diseases in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
MacLagan also made a number of appearances as an expert witness in court, including as a member of the defence in the notorious case of Madeleine Smith of Glasgow who was charged with poisoning her lover. Indeed McLagan became a leading authority on the analysis of poisons and published important works on the subject including Contributions to Toxicology, Cases of Poisoning (1849).
Outside of his medical interests MacLagan also cultivated an interest in poetry, and published Lays by the Poet Laureate of the New Town Dispensary. He was also involved in early Scottish photography with his work being displayed by the Edinburgh Society of Arts as early as 1843.
John Hutchison (1832-1910)
John Hutchison (c.1832 - 1910), who can sometimes be found recorded as Hutchinson, was an Edinburgh-born sculptor who began his career as an apprentice wood carver. By 1848 he was studying at the Trustees Academy and the following year he spent time studying in Rome. Hutchison worked in wood, bronze and marble, usually creating portrait figures, busts and statues.
Amongst his works are three figures which appear on the Scott Monument (Baron Bradwardine, The Glee Maiden and Flora MacIvor) as well as the huge statue of John Knox which resides in the New College of the University of Edinburgh.
Within the collection of the RCPE Hutchison was responsible for the busts of Sir John Batty Tuke and the Roman Lady. Whilst Tuke is depicted in contemporary style, the Roman Lady represents Hutchison's recurring interest in depicting classical female figures.
[late 19th / early 20th century]
Bust of Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan (1785-1865)
This bust is the work of the highly regarded Scottish sculptor Sir John Steell (1804-1891). The bust depicts MacLagan, draped in robes, in a neoclassical style. This contrasts with Steell's bust of Begbie, which is also found in the College's collection, as Steell depicted Begbie in contemporary, rather than classical, dress. The two busts therefore provide the opportunity to compare elements of Steell's style, as it has been contended that his depictions of contemporary garments recalled those of the fall of classical robes. Both busts also display Steell's refined style and it could be argued that they also show a tendency to idealise the subject.
A second bust of MacLagan is also found in the College's collection.
Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan (1812 - 1900)
MacLagan obtained his M.D. in 1833 and he was licentiate (1831) and later fellow (1833) of the Royal College of Surgeons. After a period studying on the continent he returned to Edinburgh where he was appointed assistant surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Like his father, David MacLagan, Douglas MacLagan held, at different times, both the presidency of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons; he was also president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1890 – 1895). Both the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow bestowed the degree of LLD on him and he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1886.
MacLagan was particularly interested in therapeutics, analytical chemistry and toxicology and eventually abandoned surgery to become an extra-mural lecturer in material medica. He was later appointed professor of medical jurisprudence and public health in 1862, holding this position for 34 years. His teaching on public hygiene and public health administration were particularly important in light of the 1875 Public Health Act. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the department for skin diseases in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
MacLagan also made a number of appearances as an expert witness in court, including as a member of the defence in the notorious case of Madeleine Smith of Glasgow who was charged with poisoning her lover. Indeed McLagan became a leading authority on the analysis of poisons and published important works on the subject including Contributions to Toxicology, Cases of Poisoning (1849).
Outside of his medical interests MacLagan also cultivated an interest in poetry, and published Lays by the Poet Laureate of the New Town Dispensary. He was also involved in early Scottish photography with his work being displayed by the Edinburgh Society of Arts as early as 1843.
John Steell (1804-1891)
John Steell was an important, Scottish-born sculptor of the nineteenth century. During the1820s Steell was elected an associate of the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland and in 1829 he became a member of the Royal Scottish Academy. Steell’s career was notable for both his own artistic achievements alongside the role which he played in the development of sculpture in his native Scotland.
In 1839 Steell created the first pediment group in stone to be carved in Scotland. This representation of the wise and foolish virgins can still be seen today at the Standard Life Assurance office at 3 George Street, Edinburgh close to the college. Perhaps even more significantly, Steell is credited with introducing large-scale marble carving into Scotland. His statue of Professor Blaikie for Aberdeen (completed 1844) was the first statue in marble to be completed in Scotland. His other works include the statue of the Duke of Wellington outside of Register House (Edinburgh) and the statue of Sir Walter Scott in the Scott Monument. Many of his works were also sent abroad, to locations including New York, Jamaica and Calcutta.
Unsurprisingly, Steell attracted numerous influential patrons, including Queen Victoria. These patrons often commissioned portrait works either in the form of a classicizing bust or funerary monument. Steell’s work is characterised by his fusion of classical and contemporary elements, with subjects usually wearing contemporary garments whilst the form and fall of their clothes is often fashioned to recall depictions of classically draped garments. It has also been suggested that his works idealise their subjects to a point, particularly in their refinement of characteristic features.
Steell is known to be responsible for busts of Sir Andrew Douglas MacLagan and James Warburton Begbie which can be found in the College's collection.
[mid 19th century]
Statue of Hygeia
This stone statue of Hygeia can be seen on the main façade of the College, in the centre of the portico, flanked by the statues of Hippocrates and Asklepios.
These three statues were sculpted in a classicised style by Alexander Ritchie. Hygeia is distinguished by Ritchie's incorporation of the two symbols with which she is most associated, namely the bowl (which she holds in one hand) and the snake (which is entwined on her other arm).
Hygeia
Hygeia (sometimes spelled Hygieia) was the daughter of Asklepios and sister of Panacea in classical mythology. She personified health and was one of the most important gods in the pantheon alongside her father with whom she was associated in cult.
Alexander Ritchie (1804-1870)
After showing a talent for drawing and design Ritchie (sometimes called Alexander Handyside Ritchie) was sent to the Edinburgh school of art and, thanks to the sponsorship of the fifth duke of Buccleuch, he obtained a place at the Edinburgh studio of Samuel Joseph (whose work also features in the College's collection). This was followed by a period at the Trustees’ School of Design, Edinburgh, and a period in London and on the continent, which included time studying under the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
By 1842 Ritchie had established a studio in Edinburgh as he began to gain recognition as a portrait sculptor in the neo-classicist style. Ritchie experienced his greatest success during the 1840s and 1850s. It was in this period that he worked on architectural decoration with notable Scottish architects, such as Thomas Hamilton who designed the College’s premises at Queen Street. He also worked with David Rhind on the Scottish Life Association Building in Edinburgh and in 1848 he was employed by the English sculptor, John Thomas, to carry out decorative work for the Houses of Parliament in London – this included the carved statues of Eustace de Vesci and William de Mowbray.
[mid 19th century]
Bust of HRH Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900-2002)
This bronze bust is a copy of an original which was cast in 1998 for the officers of the Territorial Army Services. The work offers a contemporary, realist depiction of Queen Elizabeth with close attention paid to execution of the fine details. It was presented to the College by Brigadier GR Jones OBE FRCP (Edinburgh) on 26 April 2002.
[2002]