William Douglas-the-artists-father - by Archibald Ramsay Douglas

William Douglas (1780–1832) was a Scottish

miniature painter A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

Life

William Douglas, a descendant of the family of

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

Glenbervie Glenbervie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Gleann Biorbhaidh'', Scots: ''Bervie'') is located in the north east of Scotland in the Howe o' the Mearns, one mile from the village of Drumlithie and eight miles south of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. The river Be ...

, was born in

Fifeshire Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i.e ...

on 14 April 1780. He received a liberal education, and very early showed a taste for the fine arts and the beauties of nature. This led to his being placed as an apprentice to Robert Scott the engraver at Edinburgh, John Burnet the engraver being one of his fellow-apprentices. Though he had skill as a landscape-painter, he adopted the profession of a miniature-painter, and gained considerable success, not only in Scotland, but in England. He was one of the associated artists who exhibited in Edinburgh from 1808 to 1816, and contributed to their exhibitions numerous miniatures, landscapes, and animal-pieces. He had numerous patrons, especially the

Duke of Buccleuch Duke of Buccleuch (pronounced ), formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and second suo jure for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Cou ...

and his family, and on 9 July 1817 he was appointed miniature-painter to

Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to: People * Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia * Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...

and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. His miniatures were much esteemed for their tasteful and delicate execution. Some of these were exhibited by him at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

in London in 1818, 1819, 1826, including a portrait of Lieutenant-general Sir John Hope. Douglas died at his residence in Hart Street, Edinburgh, 30 January 1832, leaving a widow, one son, and two daughters. His eldest daughter, Miss

Archibald Ramsay Douglas Miss Archibald Ramsay Douglas (23 April 1807 – 23 December 1886) was a Scottish miniature painter. She was the daughter of William Douglas. Life Douglas was born in Edinburgh to William Douglas and his wife in 1807. She was the eldest of thre ...

, also practised as a miniature painter. She exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1834, 1836, 1841, and died in Hart Street, Edinburgh, on 25 December 1886.Cust 1888, p. 375.

Gallery

File:William Douglas - Portrait of a Child - Google Art Project.jpg, Portrait of a Child (1815–⁠1825) File:George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie with his dogs Basto & Yarrow c1816 by William Douglas.jpg,

George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie General George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, (23 October 1770 – 21 March 1838), styled Lord Ramsay until 1787, and Baron Dalhousie from 1815, was a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Nova Scotia from 1816 to 182 ...

() File:William Douglas - Rome, the Temple of Hercules Victor - 8501.jpg, Rome, the Temple of Hercules Victor ()

References

Sources

* Anderson, William (1842)
"Douglas, William"
''The Popular Scottish Biography''. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & Co. pp. 256–257. * ——— (1872)
"Douglas, William"
''The Scottish Nation''. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & Co. pp. 59–60. * Oliver, Valerie Cassel, ed. (2011)
"Douglas, William"
''

Benezit Dictionary of Artists The ''Benezit Dictionary of Artists'' (in French, ''Bénézit: Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs'') is an extensive publication of bibliographical information on painters, sculptors, designers and engravers created ...

''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 September 2022. * Remington, V. (2004)
"Douglas, William [W. D.
(1780–1832), miniature and portrait painter"">. D.">"Douglas, William [W. D.
(1780–1832), miniature and portrait painter" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 September 2022. Attribution: *

External links

"William Douglas (1780-1832), Miniaturist and portrait painter"
''The National Portrait Gallery''. Retrieved 16 September 2022.

''The Douglas Archives''. Retrieved 16 September 2022. {{Authority control 1780 births 1832 deaths 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish portrait painters