Sir David Wilkie. Sir David Baird discovering the body of Tippoo sultain. ENGLAND. 1902.Print from steel engraving titled „Sir David Baird discovering the body of Tippoo sultaun after the capture of seringapatam, 4th May, 1799“.Artist Sir David Wilkie.Drawn by Engraved by M. Nargert.Illustration from The Comprehensive History of England (Gresham Publishing, 1902). Notes: From the picture by Sir david Wilkie R. A. at Newbyth house. Mid-Lothian.Sir David Wilkie (18 November 1785 – 1 June 1841) was a Scottish painter. Wilkie was the son of the parish minister of Cults in Fife. He developed a love for art at an early age. In 1799, after he had attended school at Pitlessie, KingsKettle and Cupar, his father reluctantly agreed to his becoming a painter. Wilkie now turned aside into the paths of historical art, and painted his Alfred in the Neatherd's Cottage, for the gallery illustrative of English history which was being formed by Alexander Davison. After its completion he returned to genre-painting, producing the Card-Players and the admirable picture of the Rent Day which was composed during recovery from a fever contracted in 1807 while on a visit to his native village. His next great work was the Ale-House Door, afterwards entitled The Village Festival (now in the National Gallery), which was purchased by John Julius Angerstein for 800 guineas. It was followed in 1813 by the well-known Blind Man's Buff, a commission from the Prince Regent, to which a companion picture, the Penny Wedding, was added in 1818. Wilkie's eminent success in art had been rewarded by professional honours. In November 1809 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, when he had hardly attained the age prescribed by its laws, and in February 1811 he became a full Academician. In 1812 he opened an exhibition of his collected works in Pall Mall, but the experiment was unsuccessful, entailing pecuniary loss upon the artist.General Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet GCB (6 December 1757 – 18 August 1829) was a British military leader. Approx. image size 9, 1 x 6, 2/17 x 11, 1 cm.

Condition: medium.