Having arrived at the gallery in a distressed condition, with obvious damage to the sitter’s face and a centuries’ worth of dust and grime, this restoration revealed both an impressive portrait, and an astonishing individual.
James Scott was born in Glasgow on the 29th of April 1862. It is in the town of his birth that he graduated with a Master of Arts in 1884 from Glasgow University. Moving to Sydney in the 1890s, Scott would go on to hold an abundance of prominent positions throughout his life, as both a lawyer and educator.
It was in Australia that Scott qualified as a barrister and in 1898 became the Provisional Secretary of The Australian Union, a landmark organisation in the history of colonial Australia, whose efforts to shape and unify a national identity are palpable to this day. One such push to foster a shared cultural identity, was the championing of Literature, Art and Science. Consequently, Scott became general secretary of the Sydney Theosophical Society in 1899.
At the turn of the century, a move to India saw Scott’s appointment as Principal of Bahauddin College in Junagadh, then under British administration. Renowned for its Indo-Islamic and Gothic architecture, the college remains both an educational institution and historic landmark in Gujarat.
In 1919 Scott retired to England, where he was elected national lecturer for the Philosophical Society in England and Wales.
Dedicating his life to intellectualism, Scott is remembered for his significant contribution to education and forming the national identity of modern-day Australia. Scott passed away in London in 1930.
After a process of cleaning and repairs to the torn canvas, James Scott’s portrait can once more be proudly displayed by his relatives, in remembrance of a most extraordinary man.
