James Macpherson
- Artist: George Romney
- Date: 1779-1780
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 7/8 in. x 24 3/4 in. (759 mm x 630 mm)
- Portrays: James Macpherson
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
Oil on canvas, 1779‑80, George Romney has set James Macpherson in a calm pose before you. The figure is seated, his arm resting lightly on an object that hints at a writing desk. Macpherson—born 1736 and living until 1796—was a Scottish poet whose works such as *Fingal* (1762) claimed to translate ancient Gaelic poems of the bard Ossian. He later wrote them himself, though his books gave early Scots literature a big boost for Romantic writers in Europe.
Romney, who produced about 174 portraits, painted this image for writer and MP Sir Richard Sullivan. The brushwork is soft, and the light falls gently over the face. This canvas now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
See it in person
James Macpherson is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
