Waller Hugh Paton RSA 1828-1895

Waller H. Paton, R.S.A., was born at Dunfermline in 1828. His father—a well-known designer for damask, trained him to that occupation—but in 1848 he turned his attention to landscape painting, and three years later exhibited for the first time in the Royal Scottish Academy.

During the following year several of his works—scenes in Arran—painted with great minuteness of detail, attracted considerable attention. In 1861, and again later on, he visited the Continent, and also studied for some time in London. An indefatigable worker, his pictures, both in oil and water-colour, are very numerous.

The most important of these appeared in the Annual Exhibitions of the Royal Scottish Academy. Among the most characteristic works are “The Slochd-a-chromain,’ “A Dell without a name,’ “Dawn from Goatfell,” “St. Olaf’s Fair, Kirkwall,” “In Glen Cloy,” “Old Houses and NewTenants,” and “Lamlash Bay.”

In conjunction with his brother, Sir Noél Paton, R.S.A., he designed the illustrations for Aytoun’s Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1857. Two years later he removed  from Dunfermline and settled in Edinburgh.

In 1868 he was elected Academician, and for many years took an active share in the direction of the Academy’s affairs. A loyal supporter of the Academy, having its honour and welfare always at heart, his loss is deeply recretted.

RSA Obituary transcribed from the 1895 RSA Annual Report