Sir Henry Raeburn, ''The Archers'', about 1789-90
About the work
Overview
‘The Archers’ is one of a small number of outstanding portraits from the early part of Raeburn’s career and was probably painted in about 1789 or 1790, when the subjects were in their late teens. Robert and Ronald Ferguson became members of the Royal Company of Archers in 1792 and 1801 respectively, and the contemporary revival of archery as a fashionable sport appears to have inspired the composition.
The two brothers are shown in a striking and complex geometrical arrangement that plays on tonal contrasts. Robert, in wonderfully outlined profile, is lit from the left, while Ronald behind him is shown entirely in shadow, gazing out at the viewer while framed in the tautened bow held by his elder brother. The horizontal arrow precisely divides the canvas in two. The way the figures are arranged resembles a classical sculptural frieze – appropriate to Scotland of the Enlightenment, when a renewed interest in antiquity influenced the thought and aesthetics of the country.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Robert Ferguson of Raith 1770-1840 and Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Ferguson 1773-1841 ('The Archers')
- Artist
- Sir Henry Raeburn
- Artist dates
- 1756 - 1823
- Date made
- about 1789-90
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 110.5 × 123.6 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Acquired under the acceptance-in-lieu procedure, 2001
- Inventory number
- NG6589
- Location
- Room 34
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 18th-century English Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the National Gallery’s Annual Report, ‘The National Gallery Review: April 2001 – March 2002’.
Exhibition history
-
2023Masterpieces from the National GalleryShanghai Art Museum East17 January 2023 - 7 May 2023National Museum of Korea2 June 2023 - 9 October 2023Hong Kong Palace Museum22 November 2023 - 11 April 2024Chimei Museum2 May 2024 - 1 September 2024
Bibliography
-
2002National Gallery, The National Gallery Review: April 2001 - March 2002, London 2002
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.