WILKIE, SIR DAVID, a Scotch painter; born in Cults, Scotland, Nov. 18, 1785; received his early training at the Trustee's Academy, Edinburgh; en tered the schools of the Royal Academy, London, in 1805; first exhibited there (1806) "The Village Politicians," which at once established his reputation; was elected an associate of the Academy in 1809, and in 1811 became an academi cian. In 1825, owing to ill health, he made an extended tour through Italy, Germany, and Spain. In the latter country his style as a painter underwent a marked change when he came under the influence of Velasquez and Murillo. Returning after three years to England, he was appointed (1830) painter in ordinary to the king, and was knighted in 1836. His pictures, such as the "Blind Fiddler," "Rent Day," "Cut Fin ger," "Rabbit on the Wall," "Penny Wedding," "Cottars' Saturday Night," "Duncan Gray," "Blind Man's Buff," "Chelsea Pensioners Reading the Ga zette of Waterloo," "John Knox Preach ing Before the Lords of the Congrega tion," etc., are well known as engrav
ings. These belong for the most part to his early and best period, when his method was characterized by subdued col oring and minute and spirited drawing. His later and less successful style is dis tinguishable by a breadth of treatment which sometimes shows looseness in drawing, and deals chiefly with histori cal subjects. It is represented by "The Entrance of George IV. Into Holyrood," "The Spanish Council of War," "The Maid of Saragossa," "Napoleon and Pius VII.," and "The Queen's First Council." He died at sea off Gibraltar, Juno 1, 1841, while returning from a visit to Palestine.