William Pratt was a prolific artist, painting a very wide variety of subjects. He was from Glasgow but spent several years in Crail. For two years (1892–1894) he devoted himself to painting the sea and erected a studio on the shore at Kilminning, Crail. He was a master at painting figures and was awarded a bronze medal for his painting, 'The Old Covenanter', in the jurors awards of the Edinburgh Exhibition in 1886. The subject of this painting is James Peattie who was a baker by trade. He is recalled going around Crail in a tall hat and frock coat with a clothes basket of loaves under his arm, delivering personally the bread his brothers baked. He was town councillor for 35 years and Provost of the burgh of Crail for 20 years. He presided over great changes and improved facilities for the inhabitants.