Sir George Harvey
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Object number10827
TitleSir George Harvey
Creator Amelia Hill, R (Artist)
DescriptionThis imposing marble figure is the renowned Scottish painter Sir George Harvey (1806-1876). It was made by a fellow Scot, the prominent artist and sculptor Amelia Hill in 1867, the year that Harvey received his knighthood.
George Harvey was born in St Ninians but soon after, the family moved to Stirling where his father had a business making watches and clocks. He started as an apprentice with a local bookseller, but a talent for drawing soon saw Harvey head to Edinburgh to take up art. He studied at the Trustees’ Academy under William Allan; both pupil and teacher shared a love of painting scenes from Scotland’s past and the stories of its folk.
We have 78 preparatory sketches by Harvey in our collection. These everyday scenes made in Stirling were used later in larger paintings and give us an amazing insight into the lives of ordinary people at the time, from children playing to people working.
Harvey supported the Royal Scottish Academy throughout his working life. Elected as a Fellow in 1829, he exhibited there annually and went on to become its president in 1864.
Amelia Hill (née Paton) was born into an artistic family from Dunfermline, the sister of celebrated artist Sir Joseph Noel Paton. She was a successful sculptor and the only female artist whose work is featured in the Scott Monument in Edinburgh. Known for making busts of historical and literary figures, her commissions include a statue of David Livingstone in Princes Street Gardens and busts of the poets Robert Burns and Percy Shelley. Her marriage to photographic pioneer David Octavius Hill in 1862 was both happy and supportive for both their careers.
Production date 1867
Object nameSculpture
MaterialMarble
Dimensions
whole Height: 1000 mm
whole Width: 600 mm
whole Width: 600 mm