Portrait Of Lady Nasmyth, In A White Dress And Brown Shawl, Seated At A Table, Holding A Book 

Henry Raeburn painted this portrait of Lady Nasmyth using oil on canvas, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. Raeburn’s genius here is in his deft handling of paint. You can see it most clearly in the rendering of Lady Nasmyth’s white dress, where the brushstrokes evoke the soft, flowing nature of the fabric. But look closer, and you’ll notice this same approach applied to the face and hands too. Each dab and stroke describes the form in a way that feels both precise and spontaneous. The social context of portraiture is important here. Commissioned works like this were a way for the wealthy to record their status. But Raeburn’s technique does more than just flatter his sitter. It captures a sense of her personality and inner life. In this way, he elevates the traditional craft of portrait painting into something much more profound.