Andrew Geddes
A Life Defined by Portraiture and Precision
Born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Andrew Geddes followed a path that was initially diverted from his true passion by familial duty. The son of a Deputy-Auditor of Excise, Geddes received a classical education at the Royal High School and later at the University of Edinburgh. For five years, he served as a clerk in the excise office, following the professional footsteps of his father. However
, the death of his father in 1803—a man who had previously opposed his son's artistic ambitions—liberated Geddes to pursue the vocation he truly desired. This pivotal moment led him to London, where he entered the prestigious Royal Academy schools to refine his craft.
His emergence into the professional art world was marked by a steady presence in major exhibitions. In 1806, he presented St John in the Winderness at Somerset House, ma…
