Phyllis Mary Bone RSA (15 February 1894 – 12 July 1972) was a 20th-century Scottish sculptor. She was the first female Academician of the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary art, contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy ...

. Although primarily the creator of small figurines, her works include several commissions at national level.

Life

Bone was born in

Hornby, Lancashire Hornby is a village and former civil parish located from Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, now part of the parish of Hornby-with-Farleton, within the City of Lancaster, Lancaster district of the county of Lancashire, England. Situated on the A6 ...

, the daughter of Dr Douglas Mayhew Bone and his wife Mary Campbell Smith. As a child she had a great love for animals, her pet pony and retriever were the first models for drawing. She also enjoyed visiting Edinburgh's Zoological Park, studying, drawing and eventually sculpting animals. This fascination with the shapes and actions of animals influenced her pursuit in becoming an animal sculptor.

Education and training

Bone was educated at St George School for Girls in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

then trained as a sculptor at

Edinburgh College of Art Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

(1912–18) under Alexander Carrick,

Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...

and

Percy Portsmouth Percival ("Percy") Herbert Portsmouth RSA FRSBS (1874–1953) was a 20th-century British sculptor. His most notable public work is Elgin War Memorial, and the similar War Memorial in Thurso. Life He was born in Reading, England, in 1874, th ...

. She received a diploma in Sculpture in 1918. During this time she also twice travelled to Paris, under a travel scholarship, to train specifically as an animal sculptor under Edouard Navellier. This travel scholarship and tutoring by Navellier was something her fellow Edinburgh College Art alumna, the sculptor Mary Syme Boyd, would also undertake over ten years later between 1929 and 1933.

Work

Bone served in the Women's Legion as a driver during the First World War. In Scotland, Bone quickly gained fame as an animal sculptor. At first she worked within the Holyrood Pottery but soon became independent. She took up residence first at 5 Alva Street in Edinburgh where she lived until 1935. Bone was elected an associate member of the

in 1939, being nominated by Benno Schotz, and was the first woman to be elected a full member of the Academy in 1940. Originally she shared studios with the Scottish Colourists at the Albert Gallery, 24 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh. She latterly largely worked at the Dean studios in

Dean Village Dean Village (from ''dene'', meaning 'deep valley') is a former village immediately northwest of the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is bounded by Belford Road to the south and west, Belgrave Crescent Gardens to the north and below the ...

(1935–50). From 1946 onwards she began spending more time in

Galloway Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...

, taking a second home in

Newton Stewart Newton Stewart (Scottish Gaelic language, Gd: ''Baile Ùr nan Stiùbhartach'') is a former burgh town in the historical county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The town is on the River Cree with most of the town to ...

whilst in Edinburgh thereafter only retaining a small basement flat at 7 Randolph Cliff. In 1950 she left Edinburgh permanently and joined an artists' colony on the

Solway Firth The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland. The firth (a Scottish term for an inlet of the sea) divides Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) from Dumfries and Gallow ...

, living thereafter at Hillview, Barrhill Road,

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee, Galloway, River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire. His ...

. Her work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

. She died in

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

Hospital and was cremated in Warriston Crematorium in Edinburgh. Her portrait (by Robert Sivell) is held in the Gracefield Collection in Dumfries.

Public works

*Lion and unicorn flanking the entrance of the

Scottish National War Memorial The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief archite ...

(1924–7) working with

and Sir Robert Lorimer plus internal roundels relating to animals used by the troops during World War I (carrier pigeons, mules etc.)Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker *Animal Masks on the

Metropolitan-Vickers Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...

Building (now Fortune House), 74 Waterloo Street,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

(1925–7) *Restoration of St John’s Church in Perth (1926) working with Sir Robert Lorimer *Animal carvings on the Zoology Building, Edinburgh University's Kings Buildings (1928–9) working with Sir Robert Lorimer *Animal carvings, Lady Sanderson Cottage Homes,

Galashiels Galashiels (; , ) is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile in ...

(1930–3) working with

*Royal coat of arms (including the lion and the unicorn),

St Andrews House St Andrew's House (SAH) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Taigh Naoimh Anndra''), on the southern flank of Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, is the headquarters building of the Scottish Government. The building houses offices for the First Minister and Depu ...

(1936–9) working with

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...

and Alexander Carrick *Lettering on

Kirkcudbright Tolbooth Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Kirkcudbrightshire in the administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, ...

(date unknown) *The Leopard , the pair of Raccoons and the vulture on the perimeter wall of Cardiff Castle ( subcontracted by Alexander Carrick , Scottish Sculptor )

References

External links

Alexander Carrick, Sculptor – Site dedicated to CarrickThe War Memorials TrustThe Site of Scottish National War Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bone, Phyllis 1894 births 1972 deaths British architectural sculptors Scottish sculptors Scottish women sculptors Royal Scottish Academicians Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art People educated at St George's School, Edinburgh 20th-century British sculptors Art competitors at the 1948 Summer Olympics 20th-century British women sculptors