Collections

Masters Robert and George Robertson and their Pet Dog

Creator: Park, Patric, RSA · 1811-1855

Masters Robert and George Robertson and their Pet Dog

The work was probably executed in London. In 1842 at the RSA Annual Exhibition Park exhibited a marble bust of Patrick Robertson Esq (cat.53), this…

The work was probably executed in London. In 1842 at the RSA Annual Exhibition Park exhibited a marble bust of Patrick Robertson Esq (cat.53), this was probably the ceelbrated Edinburgh-based Advocate, later Lord Robertson (1794-1855). He married Mary Ross in Edinburgh in 1818 and the OPR for the city records only two daughters registered to them.

Park also exhibited at the RA Summer Show in 1843 a marble bust of Mrs Robertson of Dulwich Wood House (cat.146). The House was built by Sir Joseph Paxton for his own home, but Mrs Robertson is recorded in intimations in The Sun (London) newspaper to have given birth to two sons (born 12 January 1841 and 23 May 1842) but neither appear to correspond to the births of a Robert and a george on the freeBMD website. The house was put up for lease or let in May 1856 and was finally sold at auction on 10 October 1856. It s then proprietor was granted a license in 1865 and it remains a popular public house to the present [2022].

There may be a link between either, or both, of these Robertson patrons and the subjects of the present work, which does not appear to have been exhibited during Park's lifetime. It was shown posthumously at the RSA AX in 1916 when lent by George Stuart Robertson, London, the nephew of the sitters, who donated the piece to the RSA Collections later that same year.