Scottish Artist: David Gibson

Georgian Era Scottish Gentleman

Scottish
dated 1800
by David Gibson (fl. 1788-1804)

2 1/4 x 3 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a heavy, gilt metal surround with an ormolu mat

About the Artist: Georgian Era artist David Gibson worked in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, where he executed both miniature portraits and engravings. Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1790 to 1795. Most art historians note his period of flourish as being from 1788 to 1797, but he is known to have executed works much later. (The Gibson portrait in this collection is dated 1800; and there are two Gibson miniatures in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, one dated 1802, and the other dated 1804.) His miniatures generally have a soft, pleasing appearance to them, being painted with lose brush strokes and paint that appears more watery than most. Known to have works in collections of the British Museum (London), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Nationalmuseum (English: National Museum of Fine Arts; Stockholm). Listed by Benezit, Blättel (pages 390, 391), Foskett (page 547), and Schidlof (pages 290, 291).