| Description Of Item | In 1865 the Great Hall was enlarged by the architect David Bryce, who ordered the roundel portraits from George MacCallum. MacCallum was paid four pounds per profile, a total of £60 for the set of 15 ‘Heads with wreaths’.
The portraits appear along the frieze in the Great Hall. Each of the figures in the roundel portraits is surrounded by a laurel wreath which is both an aesthetic, decorative feature, and a classical symbol which emphasises the importance of the figure depicted in the portrait.
In addition to this profile the College also possesses a portrait of Cullen (William Cullen, attributed to William Cochran). Comparing these two works, the differences between plaster profiles and painted portraits are particularly evident. Undoubtedly oil painting allows for greater expression and detail, while, in this case, plaster offers a more limited medium and the artist must concentrate on the most striking and significant details of their subject.
Artist: Unknown |