William Kidd (painter)

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William Kidd H.R.S.A. (c.1796 – 24 December 1863) was a Scottish painter best known for humorous, cozy scenes of domestic life in romantic-era Scotland and England. He also provided illustrations for writers such as Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns.

Little is known about his family or schooling. He was born in Scotland around 1796 and became an apprentice to James Howe, an Edinburgh artist who painted animals. One of Kidd’s earliest works, created when he was about 13, was shown in Edinburgh in 1809. He later trained with Gavin Beugo, a house painter, and became lifelong friends with fellow artist David Roberts.

Kidd first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1817 and showed there regularly until about 1840. He moved to London around 1820 and gained praise for his clever, humorous depictions of home life. His works from the 1820s often feature bright colors and busy, detailed scenes. Some pieces were turned into engravings for books, and his style was compared to other Scottish genre painters like Sir David Wilkie.

From about 1835 to 1855, Kidd also illustrated scenes from Sir Walter Scott’s novels and Burns’s poems. He painted images of Greenwich and Chelsea pensioners, survivors of war. The later period of his career was difficult; some of his work sold poorly, and he may have spent too much time drinking, though his talent remained evident.

In 1842 he married Jane Lindsay Carphin in London, giving him a more stable home for a time. In 1849 he was made an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy, but he still faced money problems. He wrote to friends for help and spoke of illness that troubled him for years.

A series of family troubles in the early 1850s deepened his difficulties. His wife died in 1854, leaving him with a stepdaughter and grandchildren. From about 1855 until his death in 1863, he painted little, if at all, and what he did paint was often a reworking of earlier pieces.

Contemporary critics praised his humor and the way he captured Scottish life, but he did not achieve lasting fame. Today his works can be found in places such as the National Gallery of Scotland, the Burns Monument Trust, Tyne and Wear Museums, Leeds Museums and Galleries, the Patrick Allan-Fraser Hospitalfield Trust, and other institutions.