Ambrose McEvoy
- Artist: Francis Derwent Wood
- Date: 1915
- Medium: bronze
- Dimensions: 17 3/8 in. x 10 1/4 in. (440 mm x 260 mm) overall
- Portrays: Ambrose McEvoy
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Ambrose McEvoy” bronze bust made in 1915 by Francis Derwent Wood, who was a close friend of the sitter. The piece measures about 17 ⅜ inches high and 10 ¼ inches wide—roughly 440 mm by 260 mm—which gives it a solid yet intimate presence.
McEvoy himself was a fashionable portrait painter; he studied at the Slade School of Art and served as a war artist attached to the Royal Navy during World War I. His paintings, such as his portrait of pilot Sir William Alcock, capture the dignity of his subjects with quiet strength. In 1938, after McEvoy’s death in 1927, the bust was given to us by his widow, Mary Augusta McEvoy (née Spencer Edwards).
Wood’s career is notable beyond this work: he founded the “Masks for Facial Disfigurement Department” at London General Hospital, producing painted copper masks to help soldiers with facial injuries. This bust fits that spirit of healing—capturing the sitter’s likeness while honoring a broader mission.
It was displayed in the 2001 exhibition “Return to Life: A New Look at the Portrait Bust,” where viewers could appreciate its context and craftsmanship together.
See it in person
Ambrose McEvoy is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
