A Life Shaped by Edinburgh and Rome Alexander Runciman was born in Edinburgh in 1736, a city that would remain the heart of his life and work. He grew up alongside his brother, John, who also pursued the path of a painter. His early years were defined by steady training, beginning at the Foulis Academy in Glasgow and later moving into an apprenticeship under the landscape painter Robert Norie. By 1762, he had become a partner in the Norie family firm, finding his footing within the local art community. In 1767, Runciman left Scotland for Rome, a move that would fundamentally alter his artisti…