Lot 16: The Elopement: A young suitor and his lover being pressed by the coachman for a quick getaway

Sir William Allan, R.A., P.R.S.A. (1782-1850) The Elopement: A young suitor and his lover being pressed by the coachman for a quick getaway oil on panel 20 x 16¾ in. (51 x 42.5 cm.)

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Allan studied alongside Sir David Wilkie at the Drawing Academy in Edinburgh, and continued his studies in London, possibly at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1805 he exhibited Gypsy Boy and Ass at the Royal Academy (now untraced), before travelling to St. Petersburg and extensively touring the hinterland, Tartary, Circassia and Turkey. He returned to Edinburgh in 1814, and as well as producing Orientalist paintings, soon turned to Scottish history for inspiration, encouraged by the likes of Wilkie and Sir Walter Scott. He was admired for his meticulous attention to detail, particularly evident in genre scenes such as the present work. In 1838 he became President of the Royal Scottish Academy, and in 1842 he was knighted.