Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Ferguson, William Gouw
FERGUSON, WILLIAM GOUW (1633?–1690?), painter of still life, a native of Scotland, is stated to have first studied art in his own country, and then travelled in France and Italy. In 1660 he was residing at the Hague, where he hired a house, and in 1668 he was still there. Part of the contract for his house consisted in a promise to paint a picture every year for the proprietor of the house. In 1681 he was residing in the Batavier Graat, Amsterdam, and on 28 June he was betrothed to Sara van Someren of Stockholm (Oud Holland, 1885, p. 143). He acquired a good reputation in painting dead game and still life. There are good examples of his paintings in this style in the Ryks-Museum at Amsterdam and in the Berlin Gallery. He also painted pictures introducing ruins and fragments of sculpture, with figures in the Italian style, under strong effects of light and shade. An example of this style is in the National Gallery of Scotland. He is stated to have returned and to have died in London, but this does not appear certain; 1695 is stated to be the latest date upon his pictures, but this is doubtful, and the exact date of his death is unknown. His pictures are sometimes attributed to Weenix.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Bryan's Dict. of Painters and Engravers, ed. Graves; Catalogues of the galleries mentioned above; information from Mr. A. Bredius.]