The Artist's Revenge

In 1927 the celebrated sculptural artist Archie Dawson, then aged 35 and in his prime, was working on carvings to decorate the front face of the new North British and Mercantile Insurance Building at 200 St Vincent Street, Glasgow

Then as now financial wizards were slippery creatures who didn’t easily part with money and Dawson and his team of assistants were having difficulty getting paid. Artistic pride required the work to be completed, or the reputation of the Dawson atelier would be ruined. It duly was, but a nice revenge was left for future generations to appreciate.

On both faces of the entrance pillar, so you can’t miss it, the mainsail of the castellated fighting ship bears a legend that can be enjoyed to this day.

Second view, in case you missed the IOU from the front!