| 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 this portrait Thomson is depicted simply with particular emphasis on his angular cheek bone. Nonetheless, considerable attention appears to have been paid to the portrayal of small details such as his hair. Alongside the profile, a plaster bust of Thomson can also be found in the College's collection.
Artist: Unknown |