Second Lieutenant (later Major-General) Adam Fife Crawford (1787–1864), Royal Artillery

This 1800 portrait of Second Lieutenant Adam Fife Crawford at the National Army Museum records a young Royal Artillery officer at the beginning of a career that would see him rise to Major-General. The Crawford brothers’ military portraits document the Scottish officer class during the Napoleonic Wars. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays bold, direct brushwork building form through vigorous strokes of light and shadow rather than careful blending, with minimal underdrawing.

The companion military portrait matches its pendant in format and handling. Raeburn captures the youthful officer’s confident bearing with characteristic directness and bold brushwork.