David Allan 1744-1796
Known as "The Scottish Hogarth", David Allan was arguably the first of the Scottish genre painters, his watercolours of such scenes as The Penny Wedding influencing future exponents Carse, Geikie and Wilkie. Allan was born at Alloa, Clackmannanshire, and studied at the then new Foulis Academy, Glasgow.
With the support of Lord Cathcart he left for Rome in the late 1760s and spent the next ten years there, studying under Gavin Hamilton, life- and character-sketching and painting historical scenes. Back in Scotland by 1779, his best-known work of this later period were his illustrations for Ramsay's The Gentle Shepherd and Burns' Scottish Songs. David Allan was Master of the Trustees' Academy from 1785 until his death in August 1796.
We are actively seeking consignments of work by David Allan. Please contact us with details or to enquire after available works by this artist.
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Works on Paper
18th & 19th century 22 Mar - 20 Apr 2024 -
Fine Shadings
250 Years of Painting in Scotland 1 Feb - 16 Mar 2024The definition of Scottish Art is wide and draws in artworks and artists with many kinds of association with Scotland. The pictures in this show illustrate not just topography, for...Read more -
Disegno
17th to 21st century drawings by Scottish artists 10 Jun - 24 Jul 2021The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh presents Disegno, an exhibition of drawings by Scottish artists from the 17th through 21st centuries. Draughtsmanship and linework are at the forefront of this...Read more -
The Wilkie Tradition
25 Sep - 24 Oct 2020Scottish pastoral life became a literary focus at the close of the 18th century in the poetry of Burns, Ramsay and Fergusson. This, combined with an emerging availability of engravings...Read more -
Signatures Of Scottish Art
140 Years of the Fine Art Society 10 Jun - 9 Jul 2016Exhibited during the year that The Fine Art Society celebrated its 140th anniversary, the occasion was marked in our Edinburgh gallery with the exhibition Signatures of Scottish Art. The show...Read more -
Five Centuries of Scottish Portraiture
30 Jul - 3 Sep 2011Portraits are windows into the period in which in they were painted – not merely because they demonstrate the painting techniques of the time, the fashions of art or of...Read more