International studio (34.1908)

Raeburn s
the modern movement and to the greatest 'of its
precursors—a relation which Stevenson recognises
later when dealing directly with the Scottish
painter. And though in the later twenties direct
painting was at a discount and “true lighting”
little thought of, it can hardly be doubted that
both had to do with Wilkie’s well-known com-
parison of the two painters.
During what may be called his middle period,
1796—1811, Raeburn continued to develop on his
own lines. His material becomes fuller, the
shadows and deeper half-tones occupy a larger
space, the tints are better fused, and his handling
is at once freer and has more descriptive power;
but the square substructure is intact, the simply
related planes showing through the fuller fusion.
The gradual change can be traced in such works as
Mrs, Simpson, Mrs. Hay
of Spot, and Miss Boss.
Certain defects persist,
with a modification. His
flesh colour, rarely of
the finest, remained till
the close of this period
commonplace in the
quality of its component
tints. The juxtaposition
of yellowish high lights,
which in the nineties
partake of a lemon
tinge, giving, in their
combination with the
carnations, a hectic cast
to such portraits as Mrs.
Campbell of Ballimore
and Prof. Dalzel, is
hardly more satisfactory
in those of Dr. Adam
and Lord Newton, two
of the masterpieces of
the ariist’s prime. The
lemon has given place
to the more earthy
Naples ) ellow, and,
viewed closely, its com-
bination with half-tones
which incline to red
verges on the crude.
But one forgets the
defects in presence of
the qualities of those
great portraits ; indeed,
by some subtle alchemy,
that which was dis-

Technique
agreeable close at hand hardly troubles one at
a few yards’ distance. The manner of seeing,
which early emancipated him from irritating
contrasts and irrelevant detail, and which had
been gradually massing and broadening his
chiaroscuro, has, in Dr. Adam, reached its climax.
In landscape Corot has been called “ Le Grand
Simplificateur.” In portraiture the process has
rarely been more successfully applied than here.
The kindly countenance and simple yet expressive
gesture required an appropriate treatment, and a
better cannot be conceived than the scheme of
black and olive, with its few gradations and in-
cidences of light which, under the artist’s skilful
hand, has produced a triumph of generalization.
In Lord Newton the crudity of the colour is
redeemed by the strongly accented shadows and


“JAMES WARDROP OF TORBANEHILL” BY SIR H. RAEBURN, R. A.
(In the Collection of Mrs. Shirley. Photo. Annan)