John Hutchison, 1833 - 1910. Sculptor

George Paul Chalmers's 1877 portrait of John Hutchison, the Scottish sculptor, is a document of the artistic community of Edinburgh in the 1870s. Hutchison was known for his public sculptures, including his memorial to Robert Burns in Dumfries. Chalmers, one of the most gifted Scottish painters of his generation who died prematurely in 1878, found in his fellow artists subjects that allowed him to paint with particular freshness and sympathy. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery's collection of Chalmers's artist portraits constitutes a valuable visual record of the Edinburgh art world in the years immediately following the formation of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Chalmers paints Hutchison with the vigorous, tonally rich technique that distinguishes his best portrait work. The sculptor's face is rendered with confident directness, the lighting warm and the modeling substantial without being labored.