William Kidd HRSA 1796-1863
William Kidd, a contemporary of Sir David Wilkie, was best known for his genre scenes and comic figures. He began painting at the age of 13, while he was an apprentice of James Howe and by 1817 was exhibiting at the Royal Academy, London. His paintings got the attention of contemporary authors and artists and he illustrated scenes from Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. However, he continued to paint domestic scenes and rural life: Peasants, fishermen and people going about their daily activities were the subject matter of his often small scale work.
During the last ten years of his life Kidd hardly produced any paintings due to his ill health and the death of his wife. He often requested financial assistance from the Royal Scottish Academy. Nevertheless, his work was recognized by friends and contemporary artists like David Roberts: 'By far the best artist among them was my late friend William Kidd, who afterwards painted many excellent pictures, embodying the humour and pathos of Scottish life in a most delightful manner.'
We are actively seeking consignments of work by William Kidd. Please contact us with details or to enquire after available works by this artist.
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Christmas
at The Fine Art Society 4 - 23 Dec 2020Read 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 -
In The Frame
Small Paintings and Antique Frames 18 Jan - 16 Feb 2019An exhibition of small paintings by Scottish artists displayed within groups of antique frames from the 18th-20th centuries. These were a selection of frames from our extensive period frame stock...Read more -
Folk and Fancy
Tales and Tradition 21 Apr - 20 May 2017Central to the show was a large-scale painting by James Howe (1780-1836) of All Hallow’s Fair on Calton Hill (c .1817-22). The last All Hallow’s fair was held in 1813...Read more
