Jean Adam, Mrs Kennedy of Dunure

This 1811 portrait of Jean Adam, Mrs Kennedy of Dunure, at the Scottish National Gallery depicts a member of the Kennedy family whose Ayrshire connections linked them to one of Scotland’s most historically significant clans. The Scottish National Gallery’s collection of Raeburn portraits is among the most important in the world. 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.

Raeburn renders the sitter with the warm, sympathetic treatment he reserved for Scottish female subjects. His direct painting method creates a fresh, immediate quality in the handling of features and costume.