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Dimensions: 240 by 148 cm., 94 1/2 by 58 1/2 in.

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Provenance: By descent to Helen Keith, only child of Sir Alexander Keith, who married Sir William Murray, 7th Bt.;
By descent to his brother, John Murray Gartshore (1804-1884), from whom the picture passed to Miss Mary Anne Gartshore, his daughter, and thence by descent at Ochertyre, Perthshire;
Anon. sale, Sotheby's, 11th March 1987, lot 59

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Exhibited: Edinburgh, National Galleries, Raeburn Exhibition, 1876, no.29 (lent by John Murray Gartshore);
Edinburgh, The National Gallery of Scotland, Loan Exhibition of Pictures by Sir Henry Raeburn and other Deceased Painters of the Scottish Schools, 1901, no.165 (lent by Miss Anne Gartshore)

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Literature: William Raeburn Andrew, Life of Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., 1894, Appendix, p. 132, no. 178;
Sir Walter Armstrong, Sir Henry Raeburn, 1901, p.106;
James Greig, Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A., 1911, p.50

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Notes: The sitter was the son of Alexander Keith (1705-92) and his wife, Joanna Swinton. He was Writer to the Signet, and Fellow of Philosophical and Royal Societies of Edinburgh and of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He was a friend of Sir Walter Scott, who used to visit him at Ravelston. In April 1811 he married Margaret, youngest daughter of Lawrence Oliphant of Gask. Their son, Alexander, was made Knight Marshall and created a baronet in 1822. By his will, Keith left £1,000 to be supplied for promotion of the interests of science, and the Trustees decided to devote £600 of this fund to found a biennial prize for the most important discovery in science which became known as the Keith prize.

In a letter to Lord Montagu dated 15th May 1822, Sir Walter Scott related an affectionate anecdote about his friend: "We are not like to suffer on this occasion the mortification incurred by my old friend and kinsman Mr Keith of Ravelstone, a most excellent man, but the most irresolute in the world, more especially when the question was unloosing his purse-strings. Conceiving himself to represent the great Earls-Marischal, and being certainly possessed of their castle and domains, he bethought him of the family vault, a curious Gothic building in the churchyard of Dunnottar: £10, it was reported would do the job - my good friend proffered £5 - it would not do. Two years after, he offered the full sum. A report was sent that the breaches were now so much increased that £20 would scarce serve. Mr Keith humm'd and ha'd for three years more; then offered £20. The wind and rain had not waited his decision - less than £50 would not now serve. A year afterwards he sent a cheque for the £50, which was returned by post, with the pleasing intelligence that the Earl-Marischal's aisle had fallen the preceding week".