National Galleries of Scotland

This self-portrait shows the artist sitting at his easel pointing to a painting that he has just completed. The inspiration for this composition came from a self-portrait by George Jamesone that was almost certainly at Castle Grant when Waitt was associated with Clan Grant. Jamesone?s portrait features the artist holding a palette whilst pointing to several of his paintings on the wall behind. In Waitt?s work, the painting of the nude on his easel (a rare example) is probably a representation of 'sight' from the traditional series of the five senses, explaining the little hand-mirror - and, of course, the unseen mirror into which Waitt himself looks. Or perhaps the woman, who gazes towards the artist rather than her mirror, symbolises the art of portraiture itself.