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A remarkable art mystery, reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes tale, has finally been solved after two centuries. In 1803, Sir Henry Raeburn, the foremost portrait painter of the era, was commissioned to create a new likeness of Scotland’s iconic poet Robert Burns. Burns, who had passed away some years earlier, had only sat for one portrait during his lifetime, created by Alexander Nasmyth in 1787. This original painting had become the definitive image of the poet, reproduced endlessly in various forms.
The commission came from publishers Cadell and Davies, who paid 20 guineas for Raeburn’s work with the intention of using it as the basis for engravings in future editions of Burns’ writings. Although Raeburn completed the painting and delivered it in 1804, it never fulfilled its intended purpose and inexplicably disappeared, sparking a mystery that would endure for generations. Dr Bill Zachs, a dedicated Burns expert, recounted an intriguing anecdote about the search for the missing work: “Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, reported about a séance that happened where a crazy Burns collector named Edward Barrington Nash tried through the medium of a spirit to invoke Robert Burns and find where this missing portrait was.”
The painting’s rediscovery was anticipated as a major art world event. In 1924, TCF Brotchie, the director of Glasgow Art Galleries and Museums, described finding the lost Raeburn as “an event bordering upon the sensational.” Despite this prediction, it took nearly a century longer to uncover the piece. Over four decades ago, Dr Zachs began his search upon arriving in Edinburgh. His perseverance bore fruit last March at a London auction house during a house clearance sale. Initially cautious—given the numerous Nasmyth copies circulating in auctions and his own possession of several—Zachs was prompted to investigate further when recalling a letter from two decades earlier. This letter, written by Alexander Cunningham, a friend of Burns and custodian of the Nasmyth portrait, confirmed that Cunningham had agreed to a new image of Burns on the condition it be painted by Raeburn, who was celebrated for his bold and dynamic style.
Raeburn’s version of Burns, which he modeled using Nasmyth’s portrait but infused with a younger, livelier essence, was believed by Zachs to be painted partly from memory, possibly reflecting a personal acquaintance with the poet. The artwork attracted competitive bidding at auction, soaring from a starting price of £300-£500 to a final sale of £68,000. Following its acquisition, the painting was sent to Scotland for cleaning and authentication. Experts, including Lesley Stevenson, senior conservator at the National Galleries of Scotland, have confirmed Raeburn’s authorship. Stevenson praised the artwork’s “expressive, seemingly effortless brushwork, the characteristic warm palette, soft atmospheric lighting and sensitive rendering of the instantly recognisable Robert Burns,” calling it “a significant discovery and one we can all celebrate.”
This newly surfaced portrait is now exhibited publicly for the first time alongside the original Nasmyth painting at the National Galleries of Scotland. Anne Lyden, the gallery’s director general, described the Nasmyth image as the “patron portrait,” familiar to many through its widespread presence on commercial items such as shortbread tins and tea towels. Lyden noted the unique experience of viewing the two portraits side by side, highlighting differences in size, color, and lighting that make Burns seem vividly alive. After being hidden away for over 200 years, the Raeburn portrait has finally returned to its birthplace in Scotland, just in time to be displayed during the Burns Night celebrations. Dr Zachs, lending the piece to the National Galleries until July before it moves to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayr, expressed his enthusiasm: “To share this painting is fantastic and the story is just beginning. The doors have only just opened and I hope people will come and see for themselves this work which has been hidden from the world for 200 years.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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