James Beattie (1735-1803) thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

James Beattie (1735-1803)

Relief
1789 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief representing James Beattie was made by James Tassie in 1789. This piece and A. 65-1930, A. 67-1930, also made by Tassie, are of a type of wax portrait cast in a mould and then worked over slightly by hand to give force and life to the modelling.

James Beattie (b. 1735-d. 1803) was a Scottish poet and professor of moral philisophy at Aberdeen University.

James Tassie (b. 1735-d. 1799) was an inventor and maker of pastes who was born in Glasgow but settled in London in 1766.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleJames Beattie (1735-1803)
Materials and techniques
Wax
Brief description
Relief, wax, Scottish, by James Tassie (1755-1799), dated 1789
Physical description
Relief in liver-coloured wax. Portrait bust to the right, the head showing a somewhat receding forehead, full nose and double chin. The doctor wears a fullish wig curled over the ears and tied in a queue at the back. He wears a stock, and high waistcoat under a frogged coat with deep turndown collar.
Dimensions
  • Height: 7.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'JAMES BEATTIE L.L.D / 1789' (Signed on the truncation of the arm.)
  • 'Tassie f.' (Signed on the truncation of the bust.)
Credit line
Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh
Object history
There is another version of this piece in the Pyke collection. The third version is in the collection Michael Andrusiw, but this is perhaps a fake.
Subject depicted
Summary
This relief representing James Beattie was made by James Tassie in 1789. This piece and A. 65-1930, A. 67-1930, also made by Tassie, are of a type of wax portrait cast in a mould and then worked over slightly by hand to give force and life to the modelling.

James Beattie (b. 1735-d. 1803) was a Scottish poet and professor of moral philisophy at Aberdeen University.

James Tassie (b. 1735-d. 1799) was an inventor and maker of pastes who was born in Glasgow but settled in London in 1766.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Cf. Pyke, E. J. A biographical dictionary of wax modellers. Oxford, 1973. p. 146.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Review of the Principal Acquisitions During the Year 1930. London. p. 12.
Collection
Accession number
A.66-1930

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Record createdMarch 11, 2004
Record URL
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