Franks Forage No 11. Alfred Edward Borthwick There has been no little interest shown recently about the portrait of Sir Henry in the Billiard Room. Chris Purvis has researched the medals that Sir Henry is wearing and from this we can deduce that the painting was done after 1937, possibly after 1939. He is in the uniform of the Royal Company of Archers, a ceremonial unit that serves as the sovereign’s bodyguard in Scotland, a role performed since 1822 when it provided a personal bodyguard for George IV. The unit was formed in the 17th century originally to promote archery as a sport for which many trophies were awarded.
‘SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF COLONEL SIR HENRY
W C-R-FAIRFAX-LUCY CB DL JP, 3RD BARONET OF MAXTON. BORN 25TH SEPT 1870
DIED 20TH AUGT 1944’
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The
artist was Alfred Edward Borthwick, (born 22nd April 1871) a Scottish
painter and second son of William Henry Borthwick, 15th of Crookston.
Crookston House in the parish of Stow in the Scottish Borders has been
the family seat for centuries. Alfred joined the Scottish Sharpshooters
attaining the rank of captain and served in the Boer War and WW1. After
leaving the army he devoted his life to painting, being one of the most
prominent of Scottish twentieth century artists. He was six times president
of the Society of Scottish Artists and in 1931 became president of the
Royal Scottish Society of Painters. He died in Edinburgh on 7th December
1955.
In
1942, Borthwick painted the distinctive portrait on the right of Lady
Ada Fairfax-Lucy. This painting is now in the Glasgow Museums Resource
Centre. I understand that the family lived in Scotland during the war
and both the portraits of Sir Henry and Lady Ada were most likely painted
there. Although Alfred Borthwick lived in Burnhouse Ayrshire, his family
were at Crookston which is but a few miles from Maxton where the Fairfax-Lucys
were living during the war years. It is likely that the families were
well acquainted with each other.