David Allan (13 February 1744 – 6 August 1796) was a Scottish painter, limner, and illustrator, best known for historical subjects and genre works.

Life

He was born in Alloa in central Scotland. On leaving Foulis's Academy of painting at Glasgow (1762), after seven years' successful study, he obtained the patronage of Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart and of Erskine of Mar, on whose estate he had been born. In 1764 Erskine made it possible for Allan to travel to Rome. He remained in Italy until 1777, studying under Gavin Hamilton and copying the old masters.

thumb|The Highland Wedding, David Allan, 1780

In 1771 Allan sent two history paintings, Pompey the Great after his Defeat and Cleopatra Weeping Over the Ashes of Mark Antony (both now lost) to the exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In 1773, still in Rome, his Hector’s Farewell from Andromache won the Accademia di San Luca's gold medal. There he painted and etched in aquatint a variety of works, including those by which he is best known, such as Scotch Wedding, Highland Dance, Repentance Stool and his Illustrations of the Gentle Shepherd (based on Allan Ramsay's poem The Gentle Shepherd He also produced illustrations for a version of James Macpherson's Ossian poems. The handsome house was thought to have been built by Robert Mylne in the 17th century. David Allan died in Edinburgh on 6 August 1796.

Family

He married on 15 November 1788 but his wife's name is not recorded.

References

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Further reading

  • Works in the National Galleries of Scotland