Lady Anne Miller of Glenlee c. 1788 - 1789

This is Henry Raeburn’s portrait of Lady Anne Miller, a member of Scotland's landed gentry, created sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Anne Miller, part of a privileged elite, had the resources and standing to participate in literary society and shape cultural tastes. We see her here adorned in a turban, which was a common fashion accessory among wealthy women of the era, inspired by an orientalist fascination with the East. The clothing could also suggest intellectualism, alluding to the idea of the muse. Portraits like these offer a lens into the lives of privileged women, while also subtly revealing the complex dynamics of class, gender, and cultural representation during this transformative period in Scottish history. While maintaining the conventions of portraiture, there is also a sense of intimacy with the subject. The painting serves as a reminder of both the personal and political dimensions inherent in the act of representation.