Charles Altamont Doyle

  Charles Altamont Doyle (1832 – 1893) was a Victorian artist. He was the brother of the artist Richard Doyle, and the son of the artist John Doyle. Although the family was Irish, Doyle was born and raised in England.

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In 1849 he moved to Edinburgh where he met Mary Foley. They were married, and their children included Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Doyle was not as successful an artist as he wished, and suffered depression and alcoholism. His paintings, which were generally of fairies or similar fantasy scenes, reflected this, becoming more macabre over time.

In 1881 Doyle was committed to a nursing home specialising in alcoholism. While there, his depression grew worse, and he began suffering epileptic seizures. Following a violent escape attempt he was sent to Sunnyside, Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum, where he continued to paint. He died in Crighton Royal Institution in 1893.

An edition of A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle was published in 1888, with illustrations by Charles Doyle.

References

• The Doyle Diary by Michael Baker (Paddington Press, New York & London), 1978