George Rennie (sculptor and politician)
- George Rennie (sculptor and politician)
George Rennie (1801 or 1802 – 22 March 1860) was a Scottish sculptor and politician.
Rennie was the son of George Rennie, agriculturist, of Phantassie, East Lothian, and nephew of John Rennie, the civil engineer.
In early life he studied sculpture at Rome, and exhibited statues and busts at the Royal Academy from 1828 to 1837. He also exhibited three times at the Suffolk Street Gallery during the same period. His most important works at the academy were: "A Gleaner" and "Grecian Archer", 1828; "Cupid and Hymen" (depicting Cupid blowing on the torch of Hymen to rekindle its flame) and busts of Thorwaldsen and John Rennie, 1831; "The Archer" (which he afterwards presented to the Athenaeum Club) and bust of Wilkie, 1833; "The Minstrel", 1834; a group of four figures in marble, 1837.
Currently "Cupid and Hymen" is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In 2005 it was temporarily removed from display pending reorganisation of the museum's sculpture galleries but is now back on display in the sculpture court adjoining the central courtyard.
With a view to improving the state of the arts in this country, he turned his attention to politics.
In 1836 he suggested to Sir William Ewart the formation of the parliamentary committee which led to the establishment of the schools of design at Somerset House, and assisted the efforts of Joseph Hume to obtain for the public freedom of access to all monuments and works of art in public buildings and museums.
From 1841 to 1847 he was Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich, retiring before the 1847 general election in favour of Hugh Adair.
In 1842 he proposed the "New Edinburgh" scheme for establishing a Scottish settlement in New Zealand (the city is now called Dunedin).
On 15 December 1847 he was appointed to the governorship of the Falkland Islands, and raised that small colony from an abject condition to one of as great prosperity as its limited resources allowed; while he offered a firm resistance to the extravagant claims of the United States, without provoking a rupture. He returned to England in 1855. He died in London on 22 March 1860.
References
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