Sir William Allan RA (1782 – 23 February 1850) was a distinguished Scottish historical painter known for his scenes of Russian life.

Not finding success in London,[2] in 1805 he travelled, by ship, to Russia, but was wrecked at Memel, where he raised funds for the remaining journey by painting portraits of the Dutch consul and others.

Having learned Russian, he travelled in the interior of the country, and spent several years in Ukraine, making excursions to Turkey, Tartary, and elsewhere, studying the culture of Cossacks, Circassians, and Tartars, and collecting arms and armour.

[3] Allan afterwards painted some scenes from Scottish history suggested by the novels of Sir Walter Scott, such as Death of Archbishop Sharpe and Knox admonishing Mary Queen of Scots (exhibited in 1823 and engraved by John Burnet).

Also of note were Mary Queen of Scots signing her Abdication (1824) and Death of the Regent Murray (exhibited 1825), which was purchased by the Duke of Bedford for 800 guineas, and gained the artist his election as an associate of the Royal Academy.

His picture Slave Market, Constantinople was purchased by Alexander Hill, the publisher, and Byron in a Fisherman's Hut after swimming the Hellespont (exhibited 1831) by R. Nasmyth, who also bought Allan's portraits of Burns and Sir Walter Scott, which were engraved by John Burnet.

[4] In 1834 he visited Spain and Morocco, and in the same year he produced The Orphan, which represented Scott's daughter Anne seated near the chair of her deceased father.

[1] In his final years Sir William lived at 72 Great King Street, a substantial Georgian townhouse over five storeys, in Edinburgh's Second New Town.