Clarina Louise Underhill, full face in white dress with brown bodice and high collar, pink sash, tortoiseshell comb in her curled and upswept brown hair

Archibald Robertson was the eldest brother of the miniature painters Alexander and Andrew (see lot 154) who were born in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1786, he went to London where he was taught the art of miniature painting by Charles Shirreff and is also said to have studied at the Royal Academy under Sir Joshua Reynolds and Benjamin West. Robertson was invited to open a drawing school in New York and arrived in 1791 never to return to Scotland. With his brother Alexander, they opened the Columbian Academy of Painting and ran the school together until 1801 when Alexander left to open his own drawing school. In 1800, Archibald wrote 'A Treatise on Miniature Painting' for his brother Andrew which was to become an extremely influential work to be studied in both England and America.