OLD MASTER

Shannon News, 10 May 1927, Page 2

OLD MASTER

IN DUST BIN. AUTHORSHIP DISCOVERED. Much interest has been excited among artists in Edinborough by the discovery of the authorship of a section of a portrait which for many years has been the subject of conjecture. The story of the fragment is a curious one.

Many years ago a portion of the portrait, which is that of a young woman, seated, showing the arms and body ,but without the head, came undey the notice of an artist, who recognised the high quality of the craftsmanship. The fragment was framed, and is part of the wall decoration of the Scottish Arts Club.

Experts were agreed that the painting was of a high order, but it is only recently that the identity of the artist has been established. It has been found that Raeburn, about 1818, painted the portraits of Miss Margaret Grant Suttic and her sister Janet. About the middle of last century the portraits of the daughters were placed above the doors- of the drawing room of Prestongrange Mansion House, and In order to fit them into their position, they had been cut, practically only the heads being retained. The portraits themselves were some time later sold in London; but there has been discovered a reproduction of that of Margaret .apparently on the same scale as the original. This has been placed against the original painting of the body and arms in the Scottish Arts Club premises, and has been found to fit exactly. The composite portrait shows an attractive young woman painted in the graceful manner characteristic of Raeburn. i