David Allan (13 February 1744 – 6 August 1796) was a Scottish painter and illustrator, best known for historical subjects and genre works. He was born at Alloa in central Scotland. On leaving Foulis’s academy of painting at Glasgow (1762), after seven years’ successful study, he obtained the patronage of Lord Cathcart and of Erskine of Mar, on whose estate he had been born. Erskine made it possible for him to travel to Rome (1764), where he remained until 1777, studying under Gavin Hamilton and copying the old masters.

Biography
David Allan was born in Alloa, in the Scottish district of Clackmannanshire. In 1762, he completed seven years of successful studies at the Academy of Painting Foulis (Glasgow) and obtained the patronage of the Count of Cathcart (en) and the Count of Mar, on whose land he was born. Thanks to Count de Mar, he was able to travel to Rome in 1764 and stayed there for several years, mainly working to copy the old masters.

In 1771 he sent two history paintings, Pompey the Great after his Defeat and Cleopatra Weeping Over the Ashes of Mark Antony (both now lost) to the Royal Academy exhibition in London. In 1773, still in Rome, his Hector’s Farewell from Andromache won the Accademia di S Luca’s gold medal.

Among the original works which he then painted was the “Origin of Portraiture”, now in the National Gallery at Edinburgh—representing a Corinthian maid drawing her lover’s shadow—well known through Domenico Cunego’s excellent engraving. This won him the gold medal given by the Academy of St Luke in the year 1773 for the best specimen of historical composition. While in Italy he also visited the kingdom of Naples, where he was well received by Lord Cathcart’s brother, Sir William Hamilton, British ambassador. Allan made many lively drawings of street life in Rome and Naples.

Returning from Rome in 1777, he lived for a time in London, and occupied himself with portrait-painting. In 1780 he removed to Edinburgh, where, on the death of Alexander Runciman in 1786, he was appointed director and master of the Academy of Arts. 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 was sometimes called the “Scottish Hogarth”, although he lacked Hogarth’s satirical qualities. Amongst his students was Alexander Carse whose early works include Allen’s influence. He also produced illustrations for a version of James Macpherson’s Ossian poems.

He died in Edinburgh and his grave can be found at the Old Calton Burial Ground in the city. The headstone, which features a portrait relief, was paid for and erected by the Royal Scottish Academy.

Work
Among his many personal works during his years in Rome, Allan paints Origin of Portraiture, now in the National Gallery of Scotland. The work depicts a Corinthian servant drawing the shadow of her lover; it is well known because of the excellent engraving made by Domenico Cunego. She earned Allan the Gold Medal of the St Luke Academy in 1773 for the best historical composition. When he directed the Academy of Arts, he made paintings and etchings (by the technique of aquatint); the best known are Scotch Wedding,(Highland Dance), Repentance Stool, and Illustrations of the Gentle Shepherd. These last works were also remarkable because of the humor they displayed.

Source from Wikipedia