Who Painted This and Who Are They?

Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse features a very fine collection of paintings covering the 1600s to the 1920s.

A research project conducted by various authorities has resulted in significant changes to the accepted history of several paintings. This is causing some controversy.

This particular painting is now attributed to Sir John Watson Gordon, and is of ‘Mrs Brown, Wife of Robert Brown of Newhall, Penicuik, and her Daughter’

Previously the painting had been attributed to Sir Henry Raeburn. Henry Raeburn was a family friend to the Gordon family.

Mrs Brown did not have a daughter. She had a son. It seems to me that each person was painted at a different time. The background colours are different. The figure on the left hand side has an ‘unworldly appearance’.

Also, the daylighting striking the picture showed that there was other earlier work which had been overpainted.

What is this vertical stripe which looks a roll of photographic film? Obviously, it could not be that.

I did show this photo to one of the NTS collections specialist. She was unaware of the vertical stripe. So was I until it was revealed by the sunlight. Hence I took the photograph.

This painting certainly raises quite a number of questions and it will be interesting to see how the anomalies are resolved.