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James IV and I
Unknown Artist
oil on panel

King James VI and I united independent Scotland and England under one monarch at the Union of the Crowns in 1603. James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley and became King of Scotland in 1567 and then succeeded Queen Elizabeth of England in 1603 when she left no heir. His new role in England meant he largely became an absentee monarch, famous for his assertion that he could effectively ‘govern by pen’. Although he has been viewed by historians as ‘the wisest fool in Christendom’, he holds an important place in medical history because of his granting of the charter of incorporation of the Glasgow College in 1599. This charter brought surgery and medicine together under a single corporation, which restricted the practice of unqualified practitioners in Glasgow and in a wide surrounding area. James entrusted College's founder, Maister Peter Lowe, with the responsibility of examining and licensing all those practising surgery, judging they were properly trained and of good character. The charter also controlled public health, medical jurisprudence and drugs and provided free medical service to the poor. 

The portrait was purchased by Professor G. B. Fleming after restoration and was presented to the Faculty in 1952. It is thought to be an excellent likeness. There is considerable debate about who painted the portrait, with the names Paul Somer (or van Someren) and Daniel Mytens being suggested, undoubtedly because of the distinctively 17th Century Northern style of the portrait.