Sir Henry Raeburn R.A., P.R.S.A. Edinburgh 1756-1823

Mrs. Hunter, by 1876;
Victor G. Fischer;
By whom given to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1912 (no. 12.43.1).

Edinburgh, Scotland, Raeburn Exhibition, 1876, no. 227, ( as Dr. Black);
Akron, Ohio, USA, Akron Art Institute, February 1931, (as Dr. Black).

(All published references give the sitter's name as "Black.")
W.R. Andrew, Life of Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., London, 1886, p.102;
Sir W. Armstrong, Sir Henry Raeburn, with an Introduction by R.A.M. Stevenson and a Biographical and Descriptive Catalogue by J.L. Caw, London, 1901, p. 96;
E. Pinnington, Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., p. 219;
J. Greig, Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., His Life and Works with a Catalogue of his Pictures, London, 1911, p. 38;
Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 7 (1912), 76;
Akron Art Institute Bulletin, "One-Picture Exhibition", 2 (February 1931), 5;
K. Baetjer, European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, by artists born in or before 1865, A Summary Catalogue, New York 1980, Vol. I, p. 146, reproduced Vol. II, p. 265; 2nd edition, 1995, p. 195;
D. Mackie, Complete Catalogue of Raeburn, Life and Art, unpublished PhD thesis Edinburgh and Yale, 6 vols., 1994, pp. 191-2, no. 56.

Canvas relined. Under an old, thick varnish. Along the extreme upper edge, just below the line of the frame, the rough edge of the original canvas is visible, but this is not disturbing. Overall the portrait presents a handsome image, with nice retention of surface texture and coloration. It appears as though there has been some reinforcement to the sitter's top eyelashes. Ultraviolet light reveals tiny retouches scattered in the figure's face (and eyelashes as previously mentioned), retouches along aforementioned rough top edge of canvas, to the sitter's costume, to the left-most edge of the red curtain, the arm of the chair on the left side, and some retouches scattered here and there in the background. It is possible that there are few other older retouches, but the thick varnish would render these difficult to read under ultraviolet light. In any event, the retouches have been applied well, and the picture may be hung in its present state. In a plainly carved and gilt wood frame.
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