Sir David Wilkie, a Scottish painter, born at Cults, Fifeshire, Nov. 18,1785, died at sea, near Gibraltar, June 1, 1841. He was the son of the Rev. David Wilkie, who placed him in 1799 in the trustees' academy in Edinburgh, where he gained a prize for the best picture of "Callisto in the Bath of Diana." In 1805 he removed to London, and in 1806 exhibited his " Village Politicians " at the national academy. He exhibited "The Blind Fiddler " in 1807, "The Card Players " in 1808, and "The Cut Finger " and " Rent Day " in 1809. He was elected an associate of the royal academy in 1809, and an academician in 1811. His fatherdied in 1812, and he assumed the support of his mother and sister. From this time till 1825 he painted most of his best pictures. Among these are "Blindman's Buff" (1813), "The Letter of Introduction " and "Duncan Gray " (1814), "Distraining for Rent" (1815), "The Rabbit on the Wall" (1816), "The Breakfast "(1817), "The Errand Boy" (1818), "The Penny Wedding " (1819), "Reading the Will " (1820), "Guess my Name "and "Newsmongers" (1821), "Chelsea Pensioners reading the Gazette of the Battle of Waterloo" (1822), "The Parish Beadle" (1823), "Smugglers offering Goods for Sale" and "The Cottage Toilet" (1824), and "The Highland Family" (1825). His "Chelsea Pensioners " was executed for the duke of Wellington for £1,200. In 1817 he visited Abbotsford and painted the well known group of " Sir Walter Scott and his Family." Passing three years on the continent, he exhibited in 1829 eight pictures, including the well known "Maid of Saragossa." His later pictures were not received with as much favor as his earlier ones.

Among these are "John Knox preaching in St. Andrews," " Columbus submitting the Chart of his Voyage to the Spanish Authorities," "Peep-o'-day Boys," "Mary Queen of Scots escaping from Lochleven Castle," "Benvenuto Cellini and Pope Paul III.," and portraits of William IV., Queen Victoria, and the duke of Wellington. Most of his works in his later style are fading, while his early pictures are still unchanged. In 1830 he was made painter in ordinary to the king, and in 1836 he was knighted. Hepainted a portrait of the sultan in 1840, visited the Holy Land, and died on his voyage home and was buried at sea. His life has been written by Allan Cunningham (3 vols. 8vo, 1843).