David Allan (1744-1796) was one of the first painters in Scotland to record the everyday life of ordinary people. After studying art in Glasgow at the Foulis Academy, he travelled to Italy and was based in Rome from around 1767 to 1777. As well as attending the Academy of St Luke, he also painted historical subjects and portraits and recorded the everyday life around him in a series of watercolours. On his return to Scotland he enjoyed a successful career as both an artist and a teacher of art.
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