Lot 24: SIR HENRY RAEBURN, R.A. (EDINBURGH 1756-1823) Portrait of Architect James Gillespie Graham (1776-1855), bust-length, in a dark green coat and a white neckerchief resting his left elbow on a book,

SIR HENRY RAEBURN, R.A. (EDINBURGH 1756-1823) Portrait of Architect James Gillespie Graham (1776-1855), bust-length, in a dark green coat and a white neckerchief resting his left elbow on a book, painted in 1823 (according to the label on the reverse). Oil on canvas, 76 by 64 cm.
Provenance: Collection of Saxon Gregson Ellis, a descendant of the sitter.
with George Gallery, Edinburgh, 1927.
with Hibbard Art Gallery, London.
Litchfield sale, Parke-Bernet, New York, 11 October 1951, lot 90.

Sir Henry Raeburn was one of the most significant Scottish portrait painters. He was made a member of the Royal Academy in 1818. This portrait of the Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham is thought to be one of his last works. The swift and deft brushstrokes are characteristic of Raeburn's fluid, painterly and innovative technique, a far remove from the precision which he developed after working in his formative years as a miniature painter at a goldsmith's workshop. Raeburn created an atmospheric light, creating smooth forms and contours even though using a thoroughly painterly technique. His technique enabled him to create a sense of engagement with the sitter as the present lot shows.