Sir Henry Raeburn

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Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823) excelled as Scotland's most accomplished portrait painter during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Similar to his predecessor Allan Ramsay, Italy significantly influenced his artistic growth. Although information about his nearly two-year stay is scarce, it is evident that he thoroughly immersed himself in study. He formed a close relationship with James Byres, Rome's leading antiquarian, and painted a delicate portrait of Patrick Moir, Byres's nephew and assistant. Most notably, upon returning to Edinburgh, Raeburn rapidly embarked on an intense period of experimentation that would become the foundation for his fully developed artistic style. Thomas Campbell's bust was created based on a plaster model made in Edinburgh but carved in Rome in a style reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture's refined simplicity.