John Spottiswoode of Spottiswoode (1780-1866)

Raeburn’s portraits evoke a romance that lies at the heart of the 19th-century image of Scottishness. Hence the figure of Spottiswoode is seen from a low viewpoint against a brooding, stormy sky. Yet this was a man of pragmatic enlightenment; his achievements ranged from the publishing of the ancient charters of Dryburgh Abbey to breeding the largest ox ever recorded. His literary inclinations were shared by his brothers who ran the publishing firm that became Eyre & Spottiswoode.