Alexander Runciman (15 August 1736 – 4 October 1785) was a Scottish painter of historical and mythological subjects. He was the elder brother of

John Runciman John Runciman (1744 – 1768 or 1769) was a Scotland, Scottish painter known for Biblical and literary scenes. His works include ''Flight into Egypt'' and ''King Lear in the Storm'', both in the National Gallery of Scotland. Life Born in Edinbu ...

, also a painter.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, and studied at the Foulis Academy,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. From 1750 to 1762 he was apprenticed to the landscape painter Robert Norie, later becoming a partner in the Norie family firm. He also worked as a stage painter for the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh. In 1767 he went to Rome, where he spent five years. His brother John accompanied him, but died in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

in the winter of 1768–69. During Runciman's stay in Italy he became acquainted with other artists such as

Henry Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; German: Johann Heinrich Füssli ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his works, such as '' The Nightmare'', deal with supernatu ...

and the sculptor

Johan Tobias Sergel Johan Tobias Sergel (; 7 September 1740 in Stockholm – 26 February 1814 in Stockholm) was a Swedish neoclassical sculptor. Sergels torg, the largest square in the centre of Stockholm and near where his workshop stood, is named after him. Life ...

. Runciman's earliest efforts had been in landscape; he now turned to historical and imaginative subjects, exhibiting his ''Nausicaa at Play with her Maidens'' in 1767 at the Free Society of British Artists, Edinburgh. On his return from Italy after a brief time in London, where in 1772 he exhibited in the Royal Academy, he settled in Edinburgh, and was appointed master of the Trustees' Academy. He was patronised by Sir James Clerk, whose hall at

Penicuik House Penicuik House (alternative spellings in use until mid 19th century: ''Penycuik'', ''Pennycuik'') survives as the shell of a formerly grand estate house in Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. The 18th-century palladian mansion (at ) was built on the ...

he decorated with a series of subjects from Ossian which took inspiration from Gavin Hamilton's ''Iliad'' pictures. He also created various religious paintings and an

altar-piece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

in the

Cowgate Episcopal Church St Paul's and St George's Church (known colloquially as "Ps and Gs") is an evangelical church of the Scottish Episcopal Church in central Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on the corner of Broughton Street and York Place in the east end of Edi ...

, Edinburgh, and easel pictures of ''Cymon and Iphigenia'', ''Sigismunda Weeping over the Heart of Tancre'', and ''Agrippina with the Ashes of Germanicus''. In 1773 he is listed as sharing a studio with a Mr McLarin at the foot of Old Assembly Close off the Royal Mile (facing what is now called the Cowgate). He enjoyed a strong reputation as a landscape painter is his lifetime. Runciman died in Edinburgh and is buried in

Canongate Churchyard The Canongate Kirkyard ( en, Churchyard) stands around Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. The churchyard was used for burials from the late 1680s until the mid-20th century. The most celebrated burials at the kirkyard are ...

. The grave is unmarked but a stone plaque was erected by the RSA in 1866 on the west-facing wall of the church to his memory (also commemorating his brother John who died in Naples).

Known works

see *

Robert Fergusson Robert Fergusson (5 September 1750 – 16 October 1774) was a Scottish poet. After formal education at the University of St Andrews, Fergusson led a bohemian life in Edinburgh, the city of his birth, then at the height of intellectual and c ...

* East Lothian Landscape *

Dunvegan Castle , native_name_lang =Gaelic , alternate_name = , image = Dunvegan Castle.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = The south-west face of the castle , map = , map_type = Scotland Isle of Skye ...

*The Blind Ossian Singing *Self portrait with John Brown *The Witches Showing MacBeth the Apparitions *Fingal Encounters Carbon Carglass *Agrippina with the Ashes of Germanicus *Hubert and Arthur *Agrippina Landing at Brundisium *A View near Perth *Italian River Landscape with a Hermit *David Steuart Erskine *Temple of the Sibyl at Tipoli *Murals in the east apse in St Patrick's Church South Gray's Close, Edinburg
St Patrick's, Cowgate, Edinburgh

References

*Duncan Macmillan, "Runciman, Alexander (1736–1785)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 25 June 2007
*

Life

Known works

References

Further reading