Oil on canvas half portrait shows a handsome young man with curly brown hair wearing a brown coat, yellow vest & white stock. On verso of stretcher is a period penned inscription “John Balfour”. Housed in a fine gesso decorated gilt frame with artist & title “John Balfour of Trenabie. Orkney N.B.”. IMPORTANT NOTE: Accompanying the painting is a 10-page booklet dated July 1921 by W. Roberts titled “John Balfour M.P.” by Sir Henry Raeburn R.A.. The booklet has, as it’s frontice piece, an engraving of this portrait and the history of the portrait and John Balfour. John Balfour was, for over half a century, head of the Orkney Branch and the family derives its’ name from Balfour Castle in Fifeshire. The first recorded ancestor was Siward who was slain by Macbeth, whose story has been immortalized by Shakespeare. John was born in 1750 and married in 1783. He was elected to the House of Commons as Member for Orkney and Shetland, first in July 1790 and secondly in April 1920. He lived in London and died in 1842. This portrait was recorded in Mr. James Greig’s monograph on Raeburn. SIZE: 30″ x 25″. Overall: 37″ x 32″. PROVENANCE: Descended in the family of Albert L. Ellsworth, founder of the British American Oil Company ((B/A), which was the predecessor to Gulf Canada. CONDITION: Old lining, very good. 52210-12 (10,000-20,000)