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Lot Essay
Isabella Ross was the daughter of Colonel Andrew Ross and Isabella MacDonnell. In 1801, she married George Bell, son of Benjamin Bell of Blackethouse and Grizel Hamilton. This painting was likely commissioned on the occasion of her marriage and dates to circa 1801-2. Raeburn's handling of the paint is bold, drawing directly onto the canvas with his brush and reworking the resultant likeness as little as possible in order to retain the vigour and vitality of his elegant sitter.
We are grateful to David Mackie for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs. Dr. Mackie considers this unusually fine portrait to have been painted sometime before 1808 and no earlier than 1801. The confusion in identities and biographies of Bell and Ross sitters to Raeburn cannot as yet be resolved. It is his opinion that by the time the painting first appeared in public, certain information seems to have been lost. One must therefore view with caution the biographical material now associated with this painting. The portrait will be included in the forthcoming complete catalogue of Raeburn, the manuscript of which has been submitted to the Paul Mellon Centre, London.
We are grateful to David Mackie for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs. Dr. Mackie considers this unusually fine portrait to have been painted sometime before 1808 and no earlier than 1801. The confusion in identities and biographies of Bell and Ross sitters to Raeburn cannot as yet be resolved. It is his opinion that by the time the painting first appeared in public, certain information seems to have been lost. One must therefore view with caution the biographical material now associated with this painting. The portrait will be included in the forthcoming complete catalogue of Raeburn, the manuscript of which has been submitted to the Paul Mellon Centre, London.