---
title: "3D printing restores decapitated Robert Louis Stevenson statue"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/3d-printing-restores-decapitated-robert-louis-stevenson-statue/
date: 2026-02-09
modified: 2026-02-09
lang: en
author: "Tess Boissonneault"
description: "A new exhibition at the University of Leeds' Treasures of the Brotherton gallery is putting the spotlight on the art of portrait busts. The exhibition, called Who am I to you?,..."
categories:
  - "Art"
  - "Consumer Products"
  - "Design"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rls-leeds-3-640x360.jpeg
word_count: 537
---

# 3D printing restores decapitated Robert Louis Stevenson statue

A new exhibition at the University of Leeds' Treasures of the Brotherton gallery is putting the spotlight on the art of portrait busts. The [exhibition](https://library.leeds.ac.uk/events/event/997/who-am-i-to-you?), called *Who am I to you?,* mines the university's own archive and collection to present a vast series of sculptures, rare books, coins, and medals that feature portraits and raise questions about "identity, representation, and public memory." The gallery has also threaded the past to the present in an innovative way: by restoring a damaged statue with the help of 3D printing.

[![University of Leeds Robert Louis Stevenson 3D printed statue head](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/leeds-exhibition-1-340x170.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/leeds-exhibition-1.jpg)(University of Leeds)

The statue in question had been decapitated at some point in history and had remained in the university's archive collection for years. Without a head, it had been challenging to identify who the statue was of. This all changed when an archival team starting 3D scanning the collection. According to a report in the [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crkrvrxgkvdo), the scanning process revealed the sculptor's signature (David Watson Stevenson), which provided a valuable clue. With this information and knowledge of the figure's body, the archival team identified a similar bronze at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and was able to deduce that the decapitated piece was Robert Louis Stevenson, the 19th century author best known for penning *Treasure Island*. They believe that their smaller, headless statue was a model for the larger bronze.
As part of the exhibition on portraiture, the Treasures of the Brotherton team has restored the statue in a creative and innovative way. Based on a 3D scan of the Robert Louis Stevenson bronze in Glasgow, a 3D model has been 3D printed to fit the smaller 60-centimeter-tall statuette. 3D printing has also been used throughout the exhibition to recreate busts and statues in miniature. These have been 3D printed from green glow-in-the-dark filament to draw attention to the technology and its role in connecting historical artefacts to our present. The curators hope that this inclusion makes the busts and portraits more approachable and fun.

[![University of Leeds Robert Louis Stevenson 3D printed statue head](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/leeds-university-2-340x170.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/leeds-university-2.jpg)(University of Leeds)

With the gallery raising questions about who has been immortalized in portraits and who hasn't over history, there is certainly a lot to think about in regards to 3D printing, which has given people greater access to commemorative pieces, including [3D selfies](https://www.voxelmatters.com/selfi3d-starts-offering-high-resolution-color-3d-selfies-with-stratasys-j55-3d-printer/) and [custom action figures](https://www.voxelmatters.com/hasbro-partners-with-fromlabs-to-offer-customized-action-figures/).

In the art and conservation world more broadly, there has also been enthusiasm for the restoration potential of the technology. For example, the UK's National Trust worked with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to [replace two long-lost statues](https://www.voxelmatters.com/mtc-3d-prints-replicas-of-14th-century-statues-for-national-trust-property/) at a historic property using 3D printing. 3D scanning and 3D printing are making art and architecture restoration easier, particularly in an era where the skills required to manually restore and replace historical pieces are increasingly rare. In Italy, at the Fondazione ITS “Cantieri dell’Arte”, a school that specializes in architectural restoration, [3D printing is even being integrated into the curriculum](https://www.voxelmatters.com/italian-architectural-restoration-school-acquires-construction-3d-printer-from-wasp/).

If you happen to be in Leeds between now and October 2026, you can see the restored Robert Louis Stevenson statue at the free *Who am I to you? *exhibition. On March 17, 2026, the University of Leeds will also be hosting an event that will showcase how 3D technologies are enabling MA students to reimagine historic portrait busts.