Ramsay, Allan (painter)

Scottish painter. Having studied in Edinburgh and then in Italy, he settled in London, becoming one of the most successful portraitists of his day, his works valued for their charm and elegance. He became artist to George III in 1760 and played an active role in London's literary and intellectual life.

He is particularly noted for his female portraiture, especially in the period 1754–66, as in his masterpiece The Artist's Wife (1755; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh), a portrait of Margaret Lindsay, his second wife. He was devoted to drawing, and the value of this study can be seen in his full-length portraits, for example of Lady Mary Coke (Marquess of Bute collection).