William Pink, Smugglerius

Smugglerius, ca. 1834

William Pink (1809 - 1857)

RA Collection: Art

Dr William Hunter, first Professor of Anatomy at the Royal Academy Schools, often performed dissections for the students, but as an alternative to this time-consuming and complicated practise he also expanded the teaching collection of anatomical casts. In 1776 he commissioned the sculptor Carlini to cast the corpse of a muscular smuggler fresh from the gallows. In order to invest the gruesome business with a sense of high art, the flayed figure was posed as the Roman statue the 'Dying Gaul' and given the pseudo-classical title 'Smugglerius'.

Object details

Title
Smugglerius
Cast made by
William Pink (1809 - 1857)
Production supervised by
Agostino Carlini RA (ca. 1718 - August 1790)
Date
ca. 1834
Object type
Sculpture Cast
Medium
Plaster cast
Dimensions

755 mm

Collection
Royal Academy of Arts
Object number
03/1436
Acquisition
Purchased from John Flint South in 1834
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