Bishop William Elphinstone (ABDUA:30054)

Artist James Giles (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1801 - 1870)

AssociatedAssociated with Bishop William Elphinstone (Glasgow, Scotland, 1431 - 1514)

Date1849

MediumOil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsFrame Size: 908 × 780 × 75mm

AcquisitionUniversity of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections.

CopyrightImages reproduced with the permission of University of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections.

LocationOn Display - Provost Skene's House

Object numberX000646

About MeThis portrait is a copy of an original made in 1500. It depicts Bishop Elphinstone, who amongst many achievements founded Aberdeen’s King’s College and introduced the first printing press to Scotland. Cut down from a larger painting, the original portrait remains an important record of the Bishop’s appearance. He is depicted wearing a special jewel-studded headdress, known as a mitre, and is carrying a gold crozier – a staff resembling a shepherd’s crook which signifies the bishop’s role. His family coat-of-arms can be seen in the window opening.

For more information about this object, which belongs to the collection of the University of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections, visit:

https://calm.abdn.ac.uk/museums/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=ABDUA%3a30054

Exhibitions

Provost Skene's House