Reverend Daniel Wilkie

The former students of the Presbyterian minister and renowned educator pictured here presented him with this portrait in January 1843, when he retired from teaching after a fruitful career spanning four decades. The book he holds open in his hand and the school glimpsed in the landscape on the right both evoke his life as a teacher, but they are mere accessories: all the painter's energy has been concentrated on the lively portrayal of the face, which reflects a subtle blend of authority and dignity.