About this artwork
Sir William was born in Edinburgh and served an apprenticeship with the banking firm Coutts. He derived considerable wealth from his career as an influential banker and made donations to charitable institutions and individuals in Edinburgh. He is shown wearing the order of the baronetcy of Nova Scotia, a title inherited from his father and still worn by the Forbes descendents today. Among his friends were the writers Sir Walter Scott and Samuel Johnson, the philosopher Edmund Burke and Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted this portrait.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792) English
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title:Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, 1739 - 1806. Banker and author
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date created:1786
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:76.20 x 63.50 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Bequeathed by John Houblon Forbes 1936
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accession number:PG 1296
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Reynolds was born in Plympton, Devon, the son of a headmaster. He was apprenticed to the London portrait painter, Thomas Hudson, in 1740. In 1749 he went to Italy, spending two years in Rome. On his return, in 1753, he set up a studio in London. Reynolds developed a portrait style which attempted...
