Allan Ramsay, Junior (1713-1784)
Son of Allan Ramsay the poet, he was born in Edinburgh and went to London and Rome to study art. Returning to Edinburgh he undertook a number of portrait commissions and became an established artist. He moved to London and soon had a wide number of distinguished clients, including George III, Flora Macdonald (of Bonnie Prince Charlie fame), David Hume, Gibbon and Rousseau - but the latter did not like the result! He led the way in a more relaxed style of presenting the subject of the portrait, instead of the previous more formal approach. He was a part of the intellectual society of the day and was a friend of Dr Johnson. As the leading portrait painter of the day, he amassed a large fortune and spent some time in Italy before retiring to Dover where he died on August 10, 1784. The National Portrait Galleries in both London and Edinburgh have examples of his work.