“Mountstuart Elphinstone,” by Matthew Noble

Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779-1859)

Matthew Noble (1817-1876)

1860

Marble

Bhau Daji Lad (formerly V & A) Museum, Mumbai

"He looks straight ahead with his handsome features caught in an intelligent expression; the bust is positively heroic" (Steggles and Barnes 202).

Photograph by Ramachandran Venkatesh, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee, with many thanks to both Venkatesh and the museum for their help.

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Related Material

Another view of the bust, with its background digitally removed

Elphinstone College, Mumbai

The bust stands in the centre of the main gallery of the museum, just behind Noble's statue of Prince Albert, with its figures of Science and Art at either side, and his bust of Queen Victoria in front. In this way, it contributes to an impressive ensemble, all from the same sculptor's hand. On the pedestal is inscribed: "MOUNTSTUART / ELPHINSTONE / THE TRIBUTE / OF THE ELPHINSTONIANS / BOMBAY / 1860." The later date of 1863 given by Mary Ann Steggles and Richard Barnes comes from their assumption that the bust was concurrent with Noble's 1863 statue of Elphinstone in St Paul's; however, it seems from the inscription that the bust in fact predated the statue.

Elphinstone, who first arrived in India in 1796, and became Resident at Poona in 1811, was Governor of Bombay from 1819-27. He was known for his intellectual prowess and capacity for hard work. As an administrator, he was much admired for two main reasons: "the codification of the laws and his encouragement of education" (Mason 240). Having refused a baronetcy and even the Governor-Generalship of India, he retired to devote himself first to travelling and then to scholarship, living well into the Victorian age. Philip Mason concludes” by calling him "one of the most selfless and lovable men who have ever achieved a name in the world of action" (244).

Bibliography

Bayly, C. A. "Elphinstone, Mountstuart (1779–1859), administrator in India." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Web. 9 June 20-16.

Mason, Philip. The Men Who Ruled India: The Founders. London, Cape, 1953.

Steggles, Mary Ann, and Richard Barnes. British Sculpture in India: New Views and Old Memories. London: Frontier Publishing, 2011.

Last modified 18 June 2016