Aikman William

Aikman, William, a portrait painter of eminence, born at Cairney, Aberdeenshire, in 1682 He studied under Sir John Medina, in Scotland; then visited Rome, Constantinople, and Smyrna, returning in 1712. For ten years he worked in Edinburgh under the patronage of the Duke of Argyll, and in 1723 moved to London. There he speedily attained a high position, and became the friend of Swift, Pope, Gay, Thomson, and the leading literary men of the day. He modelled his style upon that of Kneller, and his portraits of Gay, Thomson, Fletcher of Saltoun, and W. Carstairs attest his ability. He died in 1731, whilst engaged on a picture of the Royal Family, and Thomson wrote some lines to his memory.