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Study for the Painting of William Hunter, 1718 - 1783. Anatomist
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Study for the Painting of William Hunter, 1718 - 1783. Anatomist about 1764
  • Scottish Art
This fine compositional study formed part of the preparation for Ramsay’s portrait of Hunter, now in the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. It is of particular interest as it shows the artist selecting and establishing the parameters of the composition he chose to paint, which he marks with lines of white chalk. Hunter was a renowned physician, anatomist and collector, who bequeathed his antiquities, books, paintings and natural history specimens to Glasgow University, where they form the Hunterian Museum. Hunter and Ramsay became friends and it is thought the artist may have acted as an adviser to Hunter on picture collecting.

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Composition

The arrangement of different elements in a work of art.

Composition

Details

  • Acc. No. D 2017
  • Medium Black chalk, heightened with white on dark blue paper
  • Size 40.50 x 30.40 cm
  • Credit Lady Murray of Henderland Gift 1860 as a memorial of her husband, Lord Murray of Henderland

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Scottish Art