John Thomson of Duddingston

Rev John Thomson FRSE HonRSA (1 September 1778 – 28 October 1840) was a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland and noted amateur landscape painter.

While there, he met many people who were prominent in Edinburgh artistic circles, including Walter Scott, and Alexander Nasmyth, the latter of whom who gave him art lessons.

[2] While at Duddingston a very fine portrait of him was painted by Robert Scott Lauder who married Thomson's daughter Isabella in 1833.

The move to Duddingston allowed him to renew his acquaintances with men of influence in artistic circles and develop his art.

Like his early teacher, Naysmith, Thomson believed in working outdoors, observing directly from nature.

In addition to Scott, Naysmith and Raeburn, Thomson was friendly with writer and fellow amateur artist, Thomas Dick Lauder, and such was Thomsons reputation that in 1818 he entertained Turner at his studio, who is said to have remarked of the outlook over the Loch: "By God sir, I envy you that piece of water.

"[5] Duncan Macmillan sees the influence of Turner and John Constable in Thomson's Fast Castle from Below, painted around 1824.

[6] Thomson went on to collaborate with Turner in producing engravings to illustrate Walter Scott's Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland, published in 1826.