John Tweed
Born 21 January 1869
Died 12 November 1933
Active: 1890 - 1932
Country of birth: Scotland
Country of death: England
Sculptor, medallist
Born at 16 Great Portland Street, Glasgow. Studied at Glasgow School of Art and assisted the sculptors George Lawson, James Ewing, and Pittendrigh McGillivray.
In 1890 he moved to London and worked for Hamo Thornycroft on the frieze carvings for the Institute of Chartered Accountants' building in Moorgate, (1891–3). He also studied at South London Technical Art School and the Royal Academy Schools. In 1893 he went to Paris and studied briefly at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Falguière.
Tweed obtained a commission for a bronze relief of Jan van Riesbeeck for the residence of Cecil Rhodes through Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1893. This led to a number of high profile commissions in Africa over the next decade.
In 1901 Tweed was commissioned to complete the equestrian group surmounting the Wellington Memorial in St Paul's cathedral left unfinished by its creator, Alfred Stevens. This appointment led to debate as Tweed was considered insufficiently known for such a prestigious project. Edward Poynter, Marion Spielmann and D.S MacColl were among the critics. However the completed monument was received well.
Tweed was a close friend of Rodin and did much to promote the French sculptor's work in London. This included organising the exhibition of Rodin's sculpture at Grosvenor House, London (1914). These works were subsequently gifted to the nation to symbolize French and British co-operation.
His practice continued to be very busy in the aftermath of the First World War, when he produced a large number of statues and monuments. Tweed died in a nursing home at 18 Langham Street, Great Portland Street, London and was buried in Chelsea.
Wealth at death: £12,629 5s. 1d.
Probate date: 12 December 1933
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
The Right Hon. Cecil J. Rhodes
J. Van Riebeck
1901
Figure of a Woman
1901
Portrait Bust
1901
Bust
1904 (Presumed)
Robert Burns
1906 (Presumed)
Completed Wellington Memorial
1901 - 1912
Completed the equestrian group surmounting the monument, his appointment triggered some controversy (see Stocker, 2004)
Captain Cook
1919
Infantry Man, B.E.F.
1919 (Presumed)
£105
Meditation
1923
Study
1926
Rhoda
1931 (Circa)
Head of Bedouin Boy
1931 (Circa)
Robert Burns
1933 (Circa)
Locations
Address 18 Willowbank Street Glasgow | View on map
1894
Address 14A Cheyne Row Chelsea London | View on map
1900 (Circa) - 1904 (Circa)
Address 108 Cheyne Walk Chelsea London | View on map
1900 (Circa)
Studio located at 8 The Avenue Studios 76 Fulham Road London | View on map
1905 (Circa) - 1933 (Circa)
Studio located in 2 Harley Studios Priory Grove London W | View on map
1895 (Circa) - 1897 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Second Exhibition of The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1899
'H. E. Hurst'
Exhibited at Exhibition of International Art (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1898
Multiple works
Exhibited at Third Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1901
'Sir Peter Spokes'
Exhibited at Fourth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1904
'Iphigenia'
Exhibited at Fifth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1905
'Torso (study)'
Exhibited at Sixth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1906
'Old Newman'
Exhibited at Seventh Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1907
Multiple works
Exhibited at Exhibition of Fair Women (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1908
'Jenny'
Exhibited at Exhibition of Fair Women (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1909
'Mrs J. P. Gage-Brown'
Exhibited at Exhibition of Fair Women (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1910
'Reveuse'
Exhibited at Eighth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1908
'Jenny'
Exhibited at Ninth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1909
'Miss Eve Fairfax'
Exhibited at Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1911
'Study'
Exhibited at Tenth Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1910
Multiple works
Exhibited at Twelfth Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1912
'Lady Eden'
Exhibited at The Spring Exhibition of The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1913
'Lady Londonderry'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Eighth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1904
'Bust'
Exhibited at The Eightieth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1906-1907
Multiple works
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1902
'Mother and Child'
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the thirtieth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1900
'The Right Hon. Cecil J. Rhodes'
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Eighty-Second Annual Exhibition, 1943
'The Late Somers Clark, Esq.'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1933
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1919
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1923
'Meditation'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1926
'Study'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1931
'Head of Bedouin Boy'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1894 - 1932
Exhibited 30 times (plus work shown posthumously in 1935), often two to four works, 64 in all
Exhibited at International Exhibition, Glasgow, 1901
1901
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the thirty-first (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1901
1901
Rt Hon. George Wyndham, MP (cat. no. 1614, bust, not for sale).
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1905 - 1934
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 5 times: 1905 (2 works), 1906 (3 works), 1920 (3 works), 1927 (3 works) and 1934 (1 work)
Exhibited at The Seventy-Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1919
1919
Institutional and Business Connections
Member of Art Workers Guild
May 1904 - 1909
Resigned 1909.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1905 - 1915
Amongst those 'Invited to join without the formality of proposal and seconding' [January 10 1905, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Minutes of Council Meetings, Vol.I].
Member of The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers
1907 - 1911
Associate member.
Received prize from The Glasgow School of Art
1888
For Modelling the Figure from Casts (Elementary)
Also for best Studies of Heads - 10s
Unsuccessful in ballot for election to Royal Academy of Arts
Despite nominations in 1912, 1920 and 1927.
Personal and Professional Connections
Assistant to James Alexander Ewing
1888 (Circa)
Assistant to George Anderson Lawson
1888 (Circa)
Assistant to James Pittendrigh MacGillivray
1888 (Circa)
Assistant to William Hamo Thornycroft
1891 (Circa) - 1893 (Circa)
Tweed assisted Thornycroft on the carving of the frieze for the Institute of Chartered Accountants' building, Moorgate
Nominated by Reginald Theodore Blomfield
1912 - 20 January 1920
For RA; unsuccessful [Two separate nominations].
Nominated by Frederick William Pomeroy
1912
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by John Singer Sargent
1912
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Francis Derwent Wood
1912
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Francis Bernard Dicksee
27 February 1920 - 22 February 1927
Two nominations for RA, in 1920 and 1927, both unsuccessful.
Nominated by Herbert Hughes-Stanton
1 March 1920
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by William Llewellyn
20 January 1920 - 22 February 1927
Two nominations for RA, in 1920 and 1927, both unsuccessful.
Nominated by Frank Short
1 March 1920 - 22 February 1927
Two nominations for RA, in 1920 and 1927, both unsuccessful.
Nominated by Henry Scott Tuke
1 March 1920
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by John James Burnet
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by George Clausen
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Philip Connard
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by George James Frampton
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Charles Leonard Hartwell
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by George Harcourt
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Malcolm Osborne
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Walter Westley Russell
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominated by Giles Gilbert Scott
22 February 1927
For RA; unsuccessful.
Descriptions of Practice
Listed as medallist Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin, Gem, and Seal-Engravers, Mint Masters, &c., Ancient and Modern with References to their Works, B.C. 500 - A.D. 1900, Volume VI, 1916 Biographical Dictionary of Medallists
Listed as a contemporary sculptor and medallist living in London. Member of the London Society of Medallists (probably in the 1890s). Exhibited a bronze portrait medallion of M. August Rodin at the Royal Academy Exhibition, London, in 1906. See Forrer, vol. 6, (1916), p. 155.
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Listed under Sculptors The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1930
Sources
A Catalogue of the Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures at the Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers
1911
p.28, pp.45-46.
A Catalogue of the Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures at the Seventh Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers
1907
pp.32-33, pp.35-36.
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Nineteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1926
November 1926
p. 81
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Sixteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1919
November 1919
P. 44
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Twenty-first Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1931
November 1931
p. 61
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Twenty-second Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1933
November 1933
p. 67
Annual Report of The Glasgow School of Art and Haldane Academy. 1888
January 1888
p. 16
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1904, p.8 and lists of members' addresses 1904-1908.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the thirtieth, 1900 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1900
Cat. No. 1436B, p. 39
Birmingham Biography, Newspaper Cuttings, 1872-1966 Birmingham Biography
See 'Chamberlain Statue for the House of Commons', Birmingham Post, 25 October, 1923, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 12,(1 December 1924-16 February 1926), p. 136.
Catalogue for the Seventy-Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1919
1919
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, 1913, held at the Grosvenor Gallery, 51a New Bond Street., W.
1913
p.36.
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1902
1902
Cat. No. 218, pp. 25, 72
International Exhibition Glasgow, 1901,
Official Catalogue of the Fine Art Section
1901
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
Mark Stocker, ‘Tweed, John (1869–1933)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36597, accessed 10 July 2009]
Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1927-1938
1938
p.15.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
10 January 1905
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 2, 1913-1922
1922 (Presumed)
21 June 1915
The Dictionary of Scottish Art and Architecture
2004
p. 567
The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1930
p. 1354
The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Catalogue, 1943
1943
p. 23
Citing this record
'John Tweed', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1203033933, accessed 22 Mar 2023]
