At the end of 2008, Alexander Stoddart was given the prestigious title of ‘Her Majesty's Sculptor in Ordinary in Scotland’. An honour justly deserved, if only for the excellent statue he created for us of Adam Smith on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Following the unveiling of the statue of Adam Smith last summer, Stoddart spoke of the many people needed to build the magnificent statue. Upon receipt of this title he paid tribute once more to the work of others:
What I might have done to have this honour conferred upon me is in large part owing to the steady support and great skill of the foundrymen, plaster-workers, stone-masons and carvers, architects, planners and engineers with whom it is my privilege to work, in Scotland, England, Italy and America.
Thus, the division of labour leads not only to an increase in the quantity of production, but the skills of men and women come to together to produce such quality as Stoddart’s work. As such, Adam Smith is now well placed to stand firm against the vagaries of fashion and those cold Scottish winds.
