John Johnstone, Betty Johnstone, and Miss Wedderburn
Sir Henry Raeburn·c. 1790/1795
Historical Context
Raeburn's portrait of John Johnstone, Betty Johnstone, and Miss Wedderburn from around 1790-1795 is a lively informal group that departed from the rigid formality of conventional portraiture to capture its subjects in apparently spontaneous interaction. The inclusion of three generations in direct, unposed interaction reflects Raeburn's confidence in departing from portrait conventions and his ability to organize complex multi-figure compositions without losing the individual vitality of each sitter. His informal group portraits were particularly admired by later British and American painters as models for how to balance formal requirements with psychological spontaneity in commissioned portraiture.
Technical Analysis
The group composition balances three figures in a natural arrangement against a landscape backdrop. Raeburn's handling varies between the more carefully modeled faces and the broader treatment of costumes and setting.
Provenance
Painted for John Johnstone [1734-1795], Alva House, Clackmannanshire, fourth son of Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Bt., of Westerhall; by descent to his great-grandson, Major James Johnstone [1865-1906], Hangingshaw, Selkirk; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 26 May 1906, no. 92); purchased by Wood. Mrs. P. Nelke; sold to (Lewis & Simmons, Paris); purchased July 1928 by Mr. [d. 1935] and Mrs. [d. 1945] Robert W. Schuette, New York;[1] bequest 1945 to NGA. [1] Gerald Donovan of Sullivan, Donovan & Heeneham, New York, counsel to Mrs. Robert Schuette, letter, 27 September 1945, in NGA curatorial files.
