Sir Henry Raeburn (1756 -1823)

• Was a Scottish painter.

• Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a former village now within the city of Edinburgh.
• At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to the goldsmith James Gilliland of Edinburgh, and various pieces of jewellery, mourning rings and the like, adorned with minute drawings on ivory by his hand, still exist.

• He took to the production of carefully finished portrait miniatures; meeting with success and patronage, he extended his practice to oil painting, at which he was self-taught.

• Gilliland watched the progress of his pupil with interest, and introduced him to David Martin, who had been the favourite assistant of Allan Ramsay.
• Raeburn was especially aided by the loan of portraits to copy.
• He had gained sufficient skill to make him decide to devote himself exclusively to painting.

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