Callum was a Dandie Dinmont terrier owned by Mr James Cowan Smith who bequeathed £55,000 to the Scottish National Gallery in 1919. This enormous amount formed an important trust fund for acquisitions. His bequest had two conditions: the first that the Gallery provided for his dog Fury, who survived him; the second that Emms’ picture of his previous dog Callum should always be hung in the Gallery. Both conditions were fulfilled, and although Fury is long since dead, Callum still hangs in the Gallery in memory of his owner.
John Emms (English, 1843 - 1912)
John Emms was born in Norfolk, son of the amateur artist Henry William Emms. He went to London and became a studio assistant to Frederic, Lord Leighton. Emms helped Leighton paint the fresco of ‘The Ten Virgins’ at Lyndhurst Parish Church in Hampshire, and later moved to Lyndhurst himself. He was drawn to the New Forest as he was a keen huntsman. From 1866 onwards, Emms was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy. His main subjects were dogs and horses, and his work displays considerable precision and talent. He was admired for the vitality of his animals and was in demand across the country as an animal portraitist. In 1881 he built a large house and studio at Lyndhurst, where he remained for the rest of his life.
