DESCRIPTION: Erskine Nicol (Scottish, 1825-1904). Oil on canvas. Watching the Pilferer. 1849. Depicts a man in the doorway of a kitchen, looking into the room with a disgruntled gaze. Signed in the lower left corner "E Nicol 1849". Marked on inner lining of frame " E Nicol RA". Gilt and gessoed wood frame. Born in Leith, Scotland in 1825, Nicol was educated at the Trustee's Academy in Edinburgh. He taught in Dublin, Ireland at the height of the Irish Famine, as a result, much of his work highlights the plight of of the population during this time, which he identified with. In 1851 he was made an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy and an Academician in 1859. MEASUREMENTS: 16-3/8" x 20-3/8". Overall with frame 28-3/8" x 32-7/8". CONDITION: Light toning and surface wear to canvas. Losses, chips, and scratches to frame.