Artist biography David Alison a known Scottish artist was born in the year 1882, his paintings have been exhibited at galleries like the Royal Academy & also in the Royal Scottish Academy and have been sold at auctions worldwide like Christie’s, the current highest sold price is $9049 Us dollars which was for a portrait of a girl titled Summer. He was born in the Scottish town of Dysart which is a former Royal Burgh located on the south coast of Scotland between Kirkcaldy and West Wemyss in Fife.
When he was a young child he showed he had future talent as an artist. He went to school first at Kirkcaldy high school. When he was older he then studied at the Glasgow School of Art, he spent time travelling and studying around the continent for around a year. He began painting in his very own art studio in his home town, a year before the start of World War 1 he gained a teaching position in the Edinburgh College of Art as head of the drawing and painting, he was given the nickname Bouff, being a gritty strict traditionalist, he also married during this time, his first exhibition was a portrait of his cherished wife.
He was an admirer of Raeburn, Velasquez, Ingress, & Goya, but out of sympathy with modern art trends. At the start of World War 1 he volunteered in the army believed to be the Royal Scots regiment and he fought for the allies in the 1915 campaign in Turkey, Gallipoli, he was injured during this campaign and was pulled out. The next year he was elected Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy RSA. After World War 1 in the early 1920’s he was then elected RSA in the early 1920’s. Before the end of Ww2 he went to London though he never felt comfortable there and his health failed as a result he went back to Edinburgh he died in 1955. His portraits of his many distinguished students were so fine, he shown widely around Scotland & overseas, he is represented in many public collections.