(1823 - 1904)
James Archer was born in Edinburgh; the son of a dentist. He studied at the Trustees' Academy, under painters William Allan and Thomas Duncan. In 1840 he enrolled at the life school of the Royal Scottish Academy. Archer first established himself as a portraitist but turned to biblical and literary subjects as his career progressed. He became a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1858. In c.1860 he moved to London and soon afterwards began to produce works on the theme of Arthurian legend. In 1884 Archer visited the United States and two years later he set sail for India, returning to London by 1891. During the 1890s he served as secretary to the London Scottish Artists. By 1903 he had settled in Haslemere, Surrey, where he died aged 82.
