Beschreibung:

FRANCIS LINDO (1714-1767) FAMILY PORTRAIT OF JAMES ERSKINE, LORD ALVA (1722-1796), WITH HIS WIFE MARGARET AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN, 1761 Oil on canvas, in the fine original carved wood frame decorated with the Erskine coat of arms, signed and dated F. Lindo pinxt 1761 lower left corner. 90 x 121cm. * Erskine was the only son of Sir Charles Erskine Bt (1680-1763), Lord Tinwald, Justice Clerk of Scotland and his wife Grizel, daughter of John Grierson of Barjarg. He was appointed Lord of Sessions in Scotland (a senior judiciary role) and took the title Lord Barjarg (named for the family property on his mother's side, later sold) and subsequently changed his name to Lord Alva. Erskine married Margaret Maguire (1729-1766) in 1749. They had three children: Charles (1751-1761, commemorated in the portrait held here by his father), Isabella and John. After Margaret's death at the age of 37, Erskine married Jean Stirling in 1772 and she bore him a daughter, also called Jean. Lord Alva and his family also feature in a more significant group portrait by David Allan (1744-1796), an Edinburgh portraitist who worked in the tradition of artists like Romney, Batoni and Zoffany. Alva made keen efforts to establish Allan's career in the 1760's and he commissioned a portrait in 1780 to reflect his being founder-subscriber of St Cecilia's Hall, the venue for the Musical Society of Edinburgh. The work may be seen in the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh. Provenance: By descent in the family of the sitter.