{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O97003"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O97003/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE5262/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE5262/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AE5262","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O97003/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O97003","accessionNumber":"A.101-1965","objectType":"Relief","titles":[{"title":"Robert Skirving","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, low relief portraits in wax became popular in Britain and they were often exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of Artists and elsewhere. Waxes were used in a similar way to prints and medals, in order to disseminate the image of the sitter, or, like miniature paintings or silhouettes as portable mementoes. \r\n\r\nThe popularity of wax portraits was in part driven by their links with other types of portrait manufacture such as ceramic medallions. \r\n\r\nThe process of making a portrait in wax would begin with a model in plasticine or soft wax which would be worked using ivory or wooden tools in much the same way as a model in clay. A plaster mould would then be made and molten wax poured into it. The relief would be hand-finished by the artist.  \r\n\r\nRobert Skirving was a writer and agriculturist who wrote an account of agriculture in East Lothian from 1821-71. His work charts a period of great change affecting social as well as working practices.","physicalDescription":"Wax relief. Profile to the right.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Scoular","id":"A12225"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Wax","id":"AAT14585"}],"techniques":[{"text":"relief","id":"AAT53622"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wax","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Reliefs","id":"THES49035"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AE5262"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES396010"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Relief Robert Skirving","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1816","earliest":"1816-01-01","latest":"1816-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Rupert Gunnis Bequest","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Rupert Gunnis Bequest.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Relief, Robert Skirving, wax, by Scoular, English, 1816","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Skirving, Robert","id":"N12723"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.101-1965"],"accessionNumberNum":"101","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1965,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-04","recordCreationDate":"2004-03-17","availableToBook":true}}