21 Feb 2006
14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street
Portrait Miniatures & Silhouettes
Back to auction 13751
Portrait Miniatures & Silhouettes
Back to auction 13751
After Alexander Nasmyth (circa 1800)
Robert Burns (1759-96), wearing blue coat, striped yellow and white waistcoat and white cravat
gold frame, the reverse glazed to reveal lock of hair tied with gold wire and seed pearls on opalescent glass
Oval, 64mm. (2 1/2ins.) high
gold frame, the reverse glazed to reveal lock of hair tied with gold wire and seed pearls on opalescent glass
Oval, 64mm. (2 1/2ins.) high
Sold for
£504
inc. premium
Footnotes
- Robert Burns, tried following his father's career in farming, but met with little success. While Burns considered emigration, he wrote a number of his finest poems: The Twa Dogs, The Cotter's Saturday Night, and To a Mouse. He hoped that by publishing his work, he would raise the money to establish himself in Jamaica. But such was the success of his publication that he decided to remain in Scotland and he was lionised by Edinburgh society.
It was while Burns was in Edinburgh in 1787 that Alexander Nasmyth painted this portrait, now the most famous image of the poet. The original is housed in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.
Category: Fine Art / Portrait Miniatures
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