Gordon Sir John Watson

Gordon, Sir John Watson, P.R.S.A., whose family name was Watson, was born in Edinburgh in 1788, and destined for the Royal Engineers. His first picture, inspired by The Lay of the Last Minstrel, was exhibited in 1808, but he soon abandoned c/erere-painting for portraiture. On the death of Raeburn in 1823 he succeeded to his practice, and assumed the name of Gordon. Among his most distinguished sitters may be mentioned Sir Walter Scott, Sir Archibald Alison, Dr. Chalmers, J. G. Lockhart, Professor Wilson, De Quincey, Sir David Brewster, Lord Dalhousie, Lord Macaulay, Lord Cockburn, Sir John Shaw-Lefevre, and the Prince of Wales. Though monotonous as a colourist, he threw much dignity and character into his portraits. He received the distinction of knighthood and the appointment of Limner to Her Majesty in 1850, and was elected a Royal Academician in the following year, dying in 1864.