William Forbes Skene, 1809 - 1892. Historian and Celtic scholar

George Reid was the leading Scottish portraitist of his generation and would later become the first knighted Scottish artist. This 1888 portrait of William Forbes Skene — historian, Celtic scholar, and Historiographer Royal for Scotland — is characteristic of Reid's formal portrait practice, recording the intellectual class of late Victorian Scotland. Skene's scholarship on Scottish history and Celtic culture was formative for the broader revival of interest in Scottish national identity in the 19th century, making him an appropriate subject for a permanent portrait in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Reid employs the conventions of formal institutional portraiture — a seated three-quarter pose, dark formal dress, and a neutral background that focuses attention on the sitter's face and bearing. His handling is precise and psychologically astute, with careful attention to the elder scholar's expression and quietly commanding presence.