Robert Anderson Biography

Robert Anderson (1842-1885) was a Scottish artist known for his oil and watercolour paintings, as well as his skills as an engraver. He helped found the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1878. Much of his work reflects a strong connection to Scotland, especially through scenes of everyday life.

Born in Leith, likely into a military family, details about Anderson’s early life are scarce. He spent most of his career in Scotland, painting local people and landscapes. His most famous painting, Wick’s Black Saturday (1885), shows his patriotic feelings and empathy for his country. The painting, which hangs in Wick Town Hall, commemorates a tragic 1848 storm that caused the deaths of 37 people and left hundreds of fishing boats stranded off the Scottish coast.

Anderson was a prolific painter and engraver. He exhibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (1880-1884) and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (1877-1879). In 1879, he became an associate of the Royal Scottish Academy, often adding this title to his signature. He showed 45 works at the Royal Scottish Academy and 18 at the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colours.

Though mainly exhibiting in Scotland, Anderson also presented work in London, including at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1880 and at Agnews and the Dowdeswell Galleries.

His art is part of the collections at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh and Wick Town Hall.