William Simson, R.S.A. (Dundee 1800-1847 London)

Born in Dundee in 1800, William SImson studied at the Trustees' Academy in Edinburgh. His early paintings were mostly of coastal scenes and landscapes in his native Scotland and in 1830, he was elected a member of the Scottish Academy. He visited the Low Countries (1834-1835) and Italy (1838), before settling in London and turning mainly to historical genre. In the present work, Simson takes his inspiration from the work of his contemporary, Clarkson Stanfield.(1793-1867).