Tour Scotland Photograph The Blind Fiddler Painting By Sir David Wilkie

Tour Scotland photograph of the Blind Fiddler painting by Sir David Wilkie, who was born on 18 November 1785 in Cults, Fife, Scotland. He was the son of the parish minister of Cults. He developed a love for art at an early age. In 1799, after he had attended school at Pitlessie, KingsKettle and Cupar, his father reluctantly agreed to his becoming a painter. Through the influence of the Earl of Leven Wilkie was admitted to the Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh, and began the study of art under John Graham. In 1804, Wilkie left the Trustees' Academy and returned to Cults. Wilkie was godfather to the son of his fellow Academician William Collins. The boy was named after both men, and achieved fame as the novelist Wilkie Collins. In the autumn of 1840 Wilkie travelled on a voyage to the East. Passing through Holland and Germany, he reached Constantinople, where, while detained by the war in Syria, he painted a portrait of the young sultan. He then sailed for Smyrna and travelled to Jerusalem, where he remained for some five busy weeks. The last work of all upon which he was engaged was a portrait of Mehemet Ali, done at Alexandria. On his return voyage he suffered from an attack of illness at Malta, and remained ill for the remainder of the journey to Gibraltar, eventually dying at sea off Gibraltar, en route to Britain, on the morning of 1 June 1841. His body was consigned to the deep in the Bay of Gibraltar.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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