Walter Shirlaw

[1] Shirlaw was born in Paisley, Scotland, and moved to the United States with his parents in 1840.

Benjamin: There is no uncertainty or weakness in his method of handling color; his lines are clearly and carefully drawn, and he undoubtedly achieves excellent results when he attempts simple compositions.

One of Mr. Shirlaw's best known compositions, representing a sheep-shearing in Bavaria, has attracted favorable attention at home and abroad.

One of his paintings was used as the main image on the obverse of the 1896 five-dollar silver certificate known as Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World.

[4] On his return from Europe, he became a professor at the Art Students League of New York, and for several years taught in the composition class.