Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A.

Mrs. Shute, by 1902;
With Wallis & Son, French Gallery, London, 1910;
With Scott & Fowles, New York;
With Knoedler's, New York;
Mrs. Paul Moore, Hollow Hill Farms, Convent, New Jersey;
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1980.

Edinburgh, Patterson's Gallery, Raeburn Exhibition, 1902, cat. no 19 (lent by Mrs. Shute and Miss Hutchinson);
London, Wallis & Son, French Gallery, Pictures by Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., 1910, cat. no. 20.

C.R. Grundy, "A Raeburn Exhibition," in The Connoisseur: An Illustrated Magazine for Collectors, vol. XXIX, Jan-April 1911, p. 106, reproduced, p. 109;
J. Grieg, Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A.:  His Life and Works with a Catalogue of His Pictures, London 1911, p. 49, reproduced p. 32;
D. Mackie, Raeburn, Life and Art, A Complete Catalogue of the Artist's Work, unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Edinburgh and Yale University, 1994, cat. no. 132.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Although the old lining is still healthy, the paint layer is in need of attention. As is so often the case, unfortunately, the work was over cleaned at some point and while the retouches are not numerous neither are they particularly effective. The abrasion is clearly visible throughout the work. Given the attractiveness of the sitter, the work should be cleaned and the retouches should be applied more diligently and thoroughly. The issue here is the thinness in and around the sky, in the legs, around the hands and in some of the shadows in the face. Given the attractiveness of the picture we feel that correct and careful restoration will be worthwhile.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

From the early 1790s onwards, Raeburn began to adopt a new approach to his portraiture, placing his figures in bold poses against striking landscape backgrounds.  The depiction of scenery (imagined or connected to the sitter) had been a component in British portraiture since the 17^th Century, and this in and of itself was not an innovation.  However, Raeburn began to approach it in a unique way, creating broadly painted, impressionistic landscapes, defined by golden light, evocative of his native Scotland, to serve as background to his sitters.  These are almost proto-romantic in their conception, and the portraits of these years are undoubtedly amongst the artist's finest and most original works.

In this Portrait of Lord Hyndford, which can be dated to this period, Raeburn uses this device to particular effect.  The young Earl is shown in his scarlet uniform, having returned from the army to private life (see below).  He is seated in the park of his estate, and in an unusual addition for the artist, his grand house Mauldslie Castle can be seen in the distance (see fig. 1).  Thomas Carmichael (circa 1750-1811), 6^th Lord Carmichael and 5^th Earl of Hyndford was the son of Daniel Carmichael of Mauldslie and his wife Emilia, the daughter of John Hepburn of Edinburgh.  On the death of his older brother William in Calcutta in 1778, he inherited the family estate, and later succeeded his cousin John to the Earldom of Hyndford in 1787.  The young Carmichael chose a site for his new house on a bluff over the river Clyde in Lanarkshire ("one of the richest and most charming prospects in Scotland" according to one contemporary commentator).¹  Even more importantly, he hired the celebrated architect, Robert Adam, to design Mauldslie in the then fashionable "gothick" taste.  At Thomas' death, the estate and titles passed to his brother Andrew, and eventually to a collateral branch of the family.  The house was demolished in the mid-20^th Century.

Based on photographs, Duncan Thomson has confirmed the attribution to Raeburn, and dates the picture to circa 1795/6 on stylistic grounds, as well as the fact that Lord Hyndford had mustered out of the army at just about this time.  David Mackie has also confirmed the attribution, based on photographs, and dates the portrait to circa 1792-96.  It will be included in his forthcoming complete catalogue of the works of Raeburn to be published by the Paul Mellon Centre, London and Yale University Press.

1.  J. Denholm, A tour to the principle Scotch and English Lakes, 1804, p. 163.