[2] Carlyle liked it and decided to sit for Boehm in the beginning of 1875, in order to produce a large marble version which now resides in the National Galleries of Scotland.

At the first sitting, Carlyle announced brusquely, "storming in at the door in the guise of one of his own northern gales": "I'll give you twenty-two minutes to make what you can of me.

"[3][2] When Boehm punctually finished working, Carlyle was delighted enough to give him another twenty-two minutes, subsequently sitting often, writing: "He seems to me by far the cleverest Sculptor or Artist I have ever seen.

[9] John Ruskin described it as "a noble piece of portraiture" with "high and harmonious measures in which it seems to me to express the mind and features of my dear Master."

[14] He referred to Carlyle as not merely "a great master of literature" but "our supreme historian", "an earnest social reformer", and, "in short, a man of genius of the colossal type".