Revision of Paintings and sculptures from Fri, 2014-12-19 23:16

By George Beccaloni

Paintings & Drawings

Sculptures

  • Oval medallion, in plaster (279 mm x 232 mm), in the National Portrait Gallery, London, (NPG 1764) of Wallace's head and shoulders in profile facing right (note that "Russel" is misspelled). This was made by Albert Bruce-Joy (1842-1924) in 1906 and modeled from photographs and from life. It was donated by Wallace's children William and Violet in 1916. This is almost certainly the plaster model used to produce the bronze medallions owned by the Linnean Society and Wellcome Library - see below. Also see here.

  • Plaster medallion owned by National Portrait Gallery (NPG 1764). © National Portrait Gallery, London.
     
  • Oval medallion, in bronze, in the Linnean Society of London of Wallace's head and shoulders in profile facing right. Made by Albert Bruce-Joy and donated in 1916 by Rev. James Marchant on behalf of the Alfred Russel Wallace Memorial Fund. This plaster example in the National Portrait Gallery was probably the original model for this item. Note that on 18 December 2009 a bronze copy of this medallion was unveiled at the Richard Hale School in Hertford (click HERE). It hangs near the door into the school dining room. This door, made in 1667 was the original main door to the old Hale's Grammar School building.
     
  • Medallion in Linnean Society 
    Medallion in Linnean Society.
  • Oval medallion by Albert Bruce-Joy of Wallace's head and shoulders in profile facing right,  in the Wellcome Library, London (object number ICV No 18440). This medallion appears to be identical to the example in the Linnean Society. The Wellcome Library catalogue says it is made from plaster, but it looks like bronze.
  • Medallion in Wellcome Library
    Medallion in Wellcome Library
  • A silver version of Bruce-Joy's medallion of Wallace (possibly smaller) was displayed at the Royal Academy and other venues in Britain in 1908 [see this link]. In the footnote to a letter to his son William dated May 17th 1908 (NHM library finding number WP1/1/140) Wallace says "Mr Bruce-Joy has just written to tell me that his medallion of me, in silver is in the R.A. this year & well shown. If you go through London & have time you had better go & see it." Note that the Wallace family owns a small electrotype copy (possibly made of silver) of what is possibly this medallion.
     

  • Photograph from Black & White magazine, May 30, 1908, p. 682, of a silver medallion of Wallace
    by Albert Bruce-Joy which was displayed at the Royal Academy in 1908.

     

  • Small silver medallion owned by Wallace family. Copyright: G. W. Beccaloni.
     
  • Circular medallion, in white marble, of Wallace's head and shoulders in profile facing left (a mirror image of Wallace), in Westminster Abbey in the North Aisle of the Choir, between those of Charles Darwin and Joseph Lister. It is inscribed "ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE 1823-1913". This was commissioned by the Wallace Memorial Committee and carved by Albert Bruce-Joy, who based it on the earlier medallion he had made of Wallace facing right. It was unveiled on 1st November 1915. For more information CLICK HERE.


  • The Westminster Abbey medallion. This photograph was taken c. 1915. Scanned with permission from an original
    print owned by the Wallace family. Copyright of scan: A. R. Wallace Memorial Fund & G. W. Beccaloni.

     
  • Circular medallion, in plaster (some damage), in the Natural History Museum, London, of Wallace's head and shoulders facing left (55 cm in diameter (including the outer rim) and 5 cm thick). This was made by Albert Bruce-Joy in 1914 and is inscribed: ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE - 1906" and signed "1914 A. Bruce-Joy St(?)." Thackery (1995) states "Provenance: Unknown, but in the Museum since at least 1931. There is a bronze version at the Linnean Society and a plaster copy at the National Portrait Gallery." Note that this medallion is similar but different to the marble medallion in Westminster Abbey. The medallion in the National Portrait gallery is much smaller, was made earlier, and depicts Wallace facing right, rather than left, as does the medallion in the Linnean Society. The Wallace Memorial Fund's resin bronze plaques are casts of this medallion.
  • .
    Resin bronze replica of Natural History Museum's plaster medallion. Copyright G. Beccaloni
     
  • Bust, in plaster, in the Natural History Museum, London. It was made by W. Watagin in 1958. It depicts the head and shoulders of Wallace as a young man, facing forward, wearing a coat. It is inscribed: W. W. 1958 Moscow. Thackery (1995) states "Provenance: Presented by the Museum Darwinianum, Moscow, through Professor A. E. Kohts, in 1959. Notes: Uniform with the bust of Darwin by Watagin." [This bust can't currently be found]
  • The plaster model for the obverse of the Linnean Society's Darwin-Wallace medal, showing the "Bust of Alfred Russell [sic] Wallace to front, bearded. Inscribed LINN: SOC: LONDON: 1858-1908 WALLACE and F. BOWCHER 1908. Diameter 174 mm, thickness 16 mm" is in the British Museum (BM-2004,0107.22-Coins-Medals).
  • Statue in bronze of Wallace looking up at a bronze model of a golden birdwing butterfly by Anthony Smith. This was commissioned by the Wallace Memorial Fund and given to the London Natural History Museum, where it was unveiled by Sir David Attenborough on November 7th 2013 - the 100th anniversary of Wallace's death. An image of the statue taken in November 2013 by Anthony Smith is shown below.

Statue of Wallace. Copyright Anthony Smith.

References

Slotten, Ross A. 2004. The Heretic in Darwin's Court: The Life of Alfred Russel Wallace. New York: Columbia University Press. 602 pp.

Thackray, J. C. A. (1995). A catalogue of portraits, paintings and sculpture at the Natural History Museum, London. (Historical Studies in the Life and Earth Sciences No. 3). Mansell, London. 70pp.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith