Not on display
- Artist
- Sir David Wilkie 1785–1841
- Medium
- Oil paint on silk mounted on mahogany
- Dimensions
- Support: 254 × 200 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Robert Vernon 1847
- Reference
- N00329
Display caption
Wilkie exhibited this intimate portrait in 1813, when his reputation as a painter of character was already well-established. As a Scottish artist, Wilkie was keen to elevate the status of his national school. Here, however, he seems to draw on stereotypes, showing his character with a red nose and cheeks, auburn hair and thick eyebrows. These elements evoke the wildness associated with the Scots by many 19th-century English viewers. While Wilkie’s picture may appear to be taken from life, it also answered a demand for romanticised images of Scotland.
Gallery label, March 2011
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