James Alexander Ewing
Born 1842 (Circa)
Died 1900
Active: 1861 - 1898
Country of birth: England
Country of death: Scotland
Sculptor, architectural sculptor, carver, wax modeller
Born in Carlisle, Cumberland. James belonged to a family of wax modellers and sculptors. His parents were James and Anne Ewing (born respectively c.1803 and c.1809), described as travelling modelling artists in 1851. James's older brother, George (1828-1884), was also a successful sculptor. Thomas, the younger brother (born c.1847), started as a pianist and then joined his brothers in Scotland as a sculptor (by 1871).
James studied sculpture in England before moving to Scotland c.1871-5. Initially he worked with his older brother George and then established a successful and prolific independent practice as an architectural and portrait sculptor. Ewing employed John Tweed as his assistant. Amongst his numerous commissions, the most prestigious was carving the statuary groups for Glasgow City Chambers (1883-90) from models by George Anderson Lawson. Ewing exhibited in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paisley and Dundee. He died in Glasgow.
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.
Walter Maclellan
1883
J. J. King, Esq.
1875
The Rev. Dr McCann
1875
'Comin thro the rye'
1879
Bonny Meg
1879
Emile Berger, Esq.
1879
The late James Galbraith, Esq., Sheriff-Substitute of Lanarkshire
1881
A. D. Robertson, Esq., Glasgow
1881
The late Alexander Smollett, Esq., of Bonhill
1882
The late Mrs Forrester, Glasgow
1882
Master S. S. Young
1883
John Henderson, Esq.
1883
John Duff, Esq.
1884
Mrs Robert Young
1887
W. M. Miller, Esq.
1887
Titania and Bottom
1887
Portrait bust
1887
Anthony, son of A. D. Brogan, Esq.
1888
Mrs Robert Young
1890 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 13 Broad Street Bradford England | View on map
1861 (Circa)
Address 41 Rose Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1871 (Circa)
Address 32 Gladstone Street St. Georges Road Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1875 (Circa) - 1878 (Circa)
Address 3 Eldon Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1878 (Circa) - 1881 (Circa)
Address 287 Bath Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1880 - 1881
Address 183 West Campbell Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1881 - 1887
Address 178 Bath Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1885 - 1888
Address 130 Main Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1888 - 1889
Address 180 West Regent Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1890 - 1893
Address 24 Woodlands Road Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1893 - 1897
Address 3 Gibson Place St. Andrews Scotland | View on map
1897 - 1902
Address 398 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1900 (Circa)
p. 1260
Listed under Sculptors
Address 11 Murray Park St. Andrews Scotland | View on map
1902 - 1904
Address Ballancleroch Campsie Glen Scotland | View on map
1904 (Circa)
p. 24
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Sixty-Fourth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1890
'Mrs Robert Young'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Fifty-Third, 1879
''Comin thro the rye''
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Fifty-Fifth, 1881
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Fifty-Sixth, 1882
'The late Mrs Forrester, Glasgow'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Fifty-Eighth, 1884
'John Duff Esq.'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Sixty-First, 1887
'Mrs Robert Young'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Sixty-Fifth, 1891
Multiple works
Exhibited at Fourteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1875
'The Rev. Dr McCann'
Exhibited at Eighteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1879
'Emile Berger, Esq.'
Exhibited at Twenty-Second Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1883
'The Late Dr A. Paterson'
Exhibited at Twenty-Sixth Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1887
'W. M. Miller, Esq.'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Sixty-Second, 1888
'Anthony, son of A. D. Brogan, Esq.'
Personal and Professional Connections
Assistant was John Tweed
1888 (Circa)
Brother/sibling of George Edwin Ewing
Brother/sibling of Thomas Ewing
Daughter/son/child of Anne Ewing
Shared studio with George Edwin Ewing
1880 (Circa) - 1893 (Circa)
Shared studio with Donald Campbell Haggart
1900 (Circa)
p. 1260
Listed under Sculptors
Sister/sibling of George Edwin Ewing
James was the younger sibling
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1880-1881 Fifty-Third Annual Publication
p. 970
Listed under Sculptors The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1890-1891 Sixty-Third Annual Publication
p. 1151
Listed under Sculptors The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1901-1902 Seventy-Fourth Annual Publication
p. 1260
Listed under Sculptors
Occupation given in 1871 Scotland Census
'Sculptor' his brother Thomas listed as 'Sculptor' at the same address
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
'Artist in Wax' at same address his mother, Anne Ewing, also 'Artist in Wax'
Sources
1871 Scotland Census
2007
Parish: Glasgow Barony; ED: 33; Page: 23; Line: 10; Roll CSSCT1871_133; Year: 1871.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2005
Ref: Class: RG9; Piece: 3280; Folio: 82; Page: 27; GSU roll: 543107.
Public Sculpture of Glasgow Public Sculpture of Britain Volume Five
2002
p. 482 and multiple references to works
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Sixty-Fourth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street, 1890
1890
p. 63 (887).
The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1880-1881 Fifty-Third Annual Publication
1880
p. 970
The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1890-1891 Sixty-Third Annual Publication
1890
p. 1151
The Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1901-1902 Seventy-Fourth Annual Publication
1901
p. 1260
Listed under Sculptors
Citing this record
'James Alexander Ewing', 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=msib6_1207748167, accessed 29 Sep 2023]