William Edmondstoune Aytoun

This portraitback to top

In a letter of 7 October 1909 (NPG archives), Kay quotes from a letter to himself from Colonel Aytoun, the sitter's son, who says of the NPG bust:

'I never saw it, but presume it was a replica of the bust here. This is the original by Patrick [sic] Park from which the marble busts now in the National Portrait Gallery [Scottish] and University here [Edinburgh] were copied by Rhind the sculptor.'
The present location of the bust owned by Colonel Aytoun is not known. The marble copies by John Rhind are still at the University of Edinburgh (presented by the Misses Aytoun, 1887), and the Scottish NPG (presented by the Misses Aytoun, 1890). A plaster bust owned by Blackwood's of Edinburgh was exhibited Scottish National Portraits, Edinburgh, 1884 (579), presumably another cast like the NPG bust.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter; by descent to Andrew Kay, and presented by him, 1909.

Exhibitionsback to top

Royal Scottish Academy, 1851 (657), according to F. Rinder, The Royal Scottish Academy (1917), p 300.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

View all known portraits for William Edmondstoune Aytoun