RAEBURN, ra'bern, SIR Henry, Scottish portrait painter: b. Stockbridge, near Edin burgh, 4 March 1756; d. there, 8 July 1823. He was left an orphan at an early age and was apprenticed to a goldsmith, who, perceiving his talent for drawing, encouraged him in his am bition to be an artist. The favorite portrait painter in Edinburgh at that time was David Martin, who was the only instructor Raeburn ever had. He formed his style, however, by copying in color, mezzotints from the paintings of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and while he learned the chiaroscuro of that master be never at, tained his almost Italian richness and solidity of coloring. His drawing was correct, but un fortunately acting under the idea that a portrait was to be viewed at some distance above the level of the eye, he foreshortened the forehead and brought forward the nostrils and lower Jaw. Thus Sir Walter Scott complained that his portrait by this artist caused Win to look °clownish and jolterheaded.° Acting on the advice of Reynolds, Raeburn spent two studious years in Italy (1785-87) which resulted a marked improvement in his coloring which had previously been thin and undecided. Wilkie actually wrote from Spain that the execution of Velasquez reminded him of Raeburn. His
(Portrait of Mr. William Forsyth) in the New York Metropolitan Museum is a fair speei? meg - of his style and there are two pictures of his in the New York public library. Another fine portrait may be seen in the Art Museum, Worcester, Mass. He confined his serious artistic efforts entirely to por traits and painted every eminent Edinburgh man of his day. Among his sitters were Jef frey, Stewart, Braxfield, Erskine and Sir Wal ter Scott. In 1812 he was made president of the Royal Society of ArtiSts of Scotland and three years later was elected to the Royal Academy. He was knighted by George IV in 1822. The public galleries of Edinburgh and Glasgow have several of his works. He is also well represented in the National Gallery, Lon don, the Royal Academy and many private col lections in England. The Morgan collection New York) contains two of his masterpieces. Consult Armstrong, W.,