SHISHKIN, IVAN (1832-1898) The Pine Forest Oil on canvas, 106 by 72 cm. signed and dated 1895. Provenance: Acquired by the court jeweller Wilhelm Bolin (1861-1934), possibly directly from the artist. Thence by descent. Acquired from the above by the present owner. Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work ha Provenance: Collection of Saxon Gregson Ellis, a descendant of the sitter. with George Gallery, Edinburgh, 1927. with Hibbard Art Gallery, London. Litchfield sale, Parke-Bernet, New York, 11 October 1951, lot 90. Sir Henry Raeburn was one of the most significant Scottish portrait painters. He was made a member of the Royal Academy in 1818. This portrait of the Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham is thought to be one of his last works. The swift and deft brushstrokes are characteristic of Raeburn's fluid, painterly and innovative technique, a far remove from the precision which he developed after working in his formative years as a miniature painter at a goldsmith's workshop. Raeburn created an atmospheric light, creating smooth forms and contours even though using a thoroughly painterly technique. His technique enabled him to create a sense of engagement with the sitter as the present lot shows.