Live Auction 7610Important Old Master & British Pictures Day Sale Including Property From The Collection Of The Princely House Of Liechtenstein
Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A. (Edinburgh 1756-1823)
Lot 154

Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A. (Edinburgh 1756-1823)

Double portrait of Mrs Alexander Allan, three-quarter-length, seated in a crimson velvet dress with white ruff and cuffs and a crimson and white turban, with her granddaughter, Matilda, in a white lace dress holding a leather bound book

Closed9 July 2008

Price Realised

GBP 25,000

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Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A. (Edinburgh 1756-1823)
Double portrait of Mrs Alexander Allan, three-quarter-length, seated in a crimson velvet dress with white ruff and cuffs and a crimson and white turban, with her granddaughter, Matilda, in a white lace dress holding a leather bound book
oil on canvas
50 x 39½ in. (127 x 100.4 cm.)

by descent in the sitters' family to Major General Allan.
with Gallerie Heinemann, Munich.
with Gallery Heim, Paris, 1957.
Sotheby's, London, 18 November 1959, lot 42 (250 gns. to Young).
Teitelbaum family, by who given to the Los Angeles County Museum, 1960. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 17 January 1986, lot 14.

Specialist note

The portrait is traditionally identified as of Ann Allan (nee Losh) with her daughter Matilda (c. 1808-1872). Ann Allan (1758-1846) is said to have been from Cumberland and was the wife of William Allan, a banker, of Hillside, Edinburgh. However, Mackie (op.cit.), who dates the portrait to circa 1815-18, points out that Ann Allan was about sixty at the time and that Matilda is therefore more likely to be her granddaughter rather than her daughter. The portrait was originally of larger format (81 x 57 1/2 ins.) before it was with Gallerie Heim. Alexander Allan also sat to Raeburn (Private collection, USA; Mackie, op.cit., no. 16.).

We are grateful to David Mackie of Cambridge University for his assistance with this catalogue entry.