William Brodie Paintings

William Brodie, often known as Deacon Brodie, was not a traditional artist in the sense of painting or sculpture, but his life story has been the subject of artistic fascination, depicted in literature and theatre due to his notorious double life. Born on September 28, 1741, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Brodie was a respected craftsman and a deacon of the Wrights and Masons Guild, which was a position of considerable social standing.

Brodie came from a family of successful cabinet-makers and was a skilled woodworker himself, inheriting his father's business and workshop. By day, he was a reputable citizen and a member of Edinburgh's town council. However, by night, he led a secret life of crime that ultimately became legendary. Brodie's double life was fueled by his gambling habit and the need to maintain his social position, which his legitimate income could not support.

He started his criminal activities by duplicating keys he repaired during his work as a locksmith. With these keys, he could later gain access to the homes of his clients and rob them. In 1786, Brodie recruited a gang to assist him in his nocturnal pursuits, which included a failed attempt to rob the Excise Office in Chessel's Court on the Canongate.

Brodie's criminal activities eventually caught up with him when he was arrested and tried in 1788. His case fascinated the public, as it was shocking to see a man of such high repute standing trial for such sordid crimes. He was convicted and subsequently hanged on October 1, 1788, in front of a crowd of thousands, on the very gallows that he had supposedly designed himself as a city councilor.

The life of William Brodie inspired the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, whose own father owned furniture made by Brodie. Stevenson's novel 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', published in 1886, drew upon the idea of the dual nature of man, mirrored in the life of Deacon Brodie. Brodie's life story has also been depicted in plays and film, making him a figure of enduring fascination in Scottish culture. Despite his criminal activities, Brodie's life remains a compelling story of duality and hypocrisy in the 18th century.