Face Value | The Inglis Family Busts

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Sworders are very pleased to offer for sale a group of three distinguished portrait busts of members of the Inglis family of Glencorse, Scotland, in our September Fine Interiors sale. Spanning three generations – from Reverend John Inglis, via his son Lord Glencorse, to his grandson John David Inglis – these works form a compelling sculptural record of a prominent Scottish family. Two are carved in marble and signed by Sir John Steell RSA (1804-1891), one of the most celebrated sculptors of Victorian Scotland, while the third, a plaster bust of Lord Glencorse, is executed in Steell’s distinctive classical style. Together, the group exemplifies both the artistic ideals and commemorative practices of 19th-century Scotland.

^{Sir John Robert Steell RSA (1804-1891), a portrait bust of Rev. John Inglis (1762-1834), carved marble (£1,000-2,000)}

Sir John Robert Steell rose to become one of the most prominent Scottish sculptors of the 19th century. His numerous public works appear throughout Scotland and the UK, as well as overseas, as far as India, New Zealand and the United States. Steell was designated Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland by Queen Victoria in 1838, and in 1876 he was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood.

Born in Aberdeen in 1804, Steell’s family moved to Edinburgh during his youth, where he remained until his death in 1891. He was apprenticed to his father, a woodcarver and gilder, and he was placed as a student at Board’s School of Design (now Edinburgh College of Art). During these early years he created a handful of public works, including a timber statue of St Andrew commissioned for a building opposite the Royal Scottish Academy, and he was quickly noticed by Edinburgh’s artistic society. In order to focus on sculpture as a career, Steell travelled to Rome, in 1829, to study the discipline more intensely, and that same year, he was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy.

^{English School, 19th century, a portrait bust of the Rt Hon. John Inglis, Lord Glencorse (1810-1891), c.1880s, painted plaster (£600-800)}

Between 1840 and 1846, he carved the central figure for the Scott Monument, a depiction of Sir Walter Scott with his dog Maida. Among his other celebrated works are the imposing statue of Queen Victoria atop the Royal Scottish Academy, and the bronze portrait statue of Robert Burns, of which four versions exist: in Dundee, London, Central Park in New York, and Dunedin in New Zealand. Driven by the need to cast his statue of the Duke of Wellington for the eastern end of Princes Street, he is credited as bringing the art of fine bronze casting to Scotland with the establishment of the Grove Foundry in Edinburgh in 1849.

Although Steell is widely recognised for his monumental public works, portraiture also played a central role in his practice. His portrait commissions were in high demand, enabling him to forge valuable relationships with influential patrons and secure major public projects. He also capitalised on the Victorian era’s enthusiasm for portrait busts, which were considered both fashionable and relatively affordable; while his most elaborate marble busts could cost up to £150, plaster versions were available for just a couple of guineas.

^{Sir John Robert Steell RSA (1804-1891), a portrait bust of a young man, probably John David Inglis (1843-1861), carved marble (£1,000-2,000)}

Steell’s portrait busts followed the classical sculptural tradition, incorporating features such as Flavian-style drapery, a smooth matte surface, and blank, uninscribed eyes. Within this timeless framework, however, he introduced contemporary elements like realistic hair treatment, as seen in the present examples, ensuring not only physical likeness but also a subtle sense of the subject’s personality. Taken together, the Inglis family busts not only commemorate a distinguished Scottish lineage but also showcase Steell’s mastery of portraiture, offering collectors a rare and intimate connection to the art of Victorian Scotland. The busts will be sold in three lots on Tuesday 16 September, and are available to view in person at our Stansted Mountfitchet auction rooms on Friday 12, Sunday 14 and Monday 15 September.

^{A Roman marble portrait bust of an Antonine prince (Sold for £195,000)}

From the same family collection, Sworders sold a Roman marble portrait bust of an Antonine prince in December 2024, realising £195,000. To find out more, view the blog online.

Later this year, Sworders will offer for sale several further Inglis family portraits – including those of the Rev. John Inglis, the Rt Hon. John Inglis, and his sister, Mary Jane Inglis – in Old Master, British and European Art on 11 November.

_{All sold prices shown include fees.}

Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September | 10am

fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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