Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (1754-1835) agriculturalist, politician and writer

Location

Country: Other
City: other locations abroad

Sir John Sinclair is depicted wearing the dress edition of the uniform of his Fencibles (army regiment), which he designed himself, having had an interest in Highland dress. He wears a scarlet and yellow coat, silk tartan trousers, a matching plaid (rectangular cloth) and checked red and white stockings. He carries a feathered hat in his right hand. Sir Henry Raeburn’s portrait of Sinclair, on which this print is based, is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Henry Raeburn was born in the village of Stockbridge (now within Edinburgh), where his parents ran a yarn-boiling business. However, by the age of eight he was orphaned and residing at a charity school. He was later apprenticed to a goldsmith and during this time began painting full-scale portraits. His marriage (c.1780) to Ann Leslie, a wealthy widow, allowed him to study in Rome (c.1784-87). Despite success, he became insolvent in 1808 as a result of failed investments and remained in debt for the rest of his life. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, in 1792 and was elected a member in 1815. He was knighted in 1822 and appointed ‘limner and painter in Scotland’ to the king in 1823. However, he died in the same year, aged 67.
Henry Macbeth-Raeburn, painter and engraver, was the son of the portrait painter Norman Macbeth (1821-1888). His siblings included the painters Norman (1821-1888) and James (1847-1891), and Allan Macbeth (1856-1910), a noted organist, choirmaster and principal of the Glasgow College of Music. Henry added Raeburn to his name to distinguish himself from the other painters in his family. He began his career in Edinburgh, but later moved to London. He exhibited 17 works at the Royal Academy, 4 at the New Water-Colour Society and one at the Royal Society of British Artists in Suffolk Street, London.

People

Sir John, 1st Baronet Sinclair (1754 - 1835)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, landscape C19th, mountain, 19th century costume, Scottish national costume, trousers, sporran, shoe, sword, soldier

Materials & Techniques

mezzotint, colour mezzotint

Artist

Sir Henry Raeburn (1756 - 1823)
Henry Macbeth-Raeburn (1860 - 1947)

Title

Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (1754-1835) agriculturalist, politician and writer

Date

31 March 1921

Medium

Colour mezzotint

Dimensions

height: 70.00 cm, width: 50.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Vicars Bros, July 1957

GAC number

3558