Samuel Fulton was born in Glasgow on 26 April 1855, the son of Samuel Fulton, who owned the Fulton Brothers bakery and his wife Jane (née Strang). He lived with his family at Surrey Street in Glasgow and attended the Free Church Normal School before entering High School. Initially he worked as an apprentice baker in his father’s business before starting to paint for a living at around the age of 24.

He moved to Airdrie around 1880 where he lived until the late 19th century when he returned to the family business at Surrey Street, but continued painting. Around this time he began exhibiting at the Glasgow Royal Institute of Fine Arts, the Paisley Art Institute as well as in Edinburgh and Stirling. By 1911, he was living in Campsie Glen just outside Glasgow and spent his final years at Wateryetts, Kilmacolm. He died aged 86 at Croydon Nursing Home in Bridge Weir on 23 May, 1941.

Fulton specialised in painting portraits of dogs and was adept at capturing the character and mood of the animal in his work. It is highly likely he kept dogs himself possibly West Highland Terriers as this breed is a subject he repeatedly painted throughout his life. Examples of his paintings can be found at the Royal Scottish Academy, Glasgow Art Gallery & Museum and the Paisley Museum.

© Benton Fine Art