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| | Overview of William Aikman |
 | | He returned to Scotland in 1712, where he made the acquaintance of the poet Allan Ramsay (1681 - 1758) and found an enthusiastic patron in John Campbell, the 2nd Duke of Argyll (1680 - 1743), who persuaded Aikman to move to London. |
 | | Instead, he decided to take up a career as an artist and, by 1703, was painting portraits professionally in Edinburgh. |
 | | Born in Aberdeenshire, the son of an advocate, Aikman studied law at the University of Edinburgh with the intention of following his father. |
| www.geo.ed.ac.uk /scotgaz/people/famousfirst1420.html (182 words) |
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