Description
Similarities in pose and facial features, together with the matching dimensions would suggest that the two portraits are related and may originally have formed part of a collection of Gordon family portraits.
Alexander appears slightly older in his portrait, suggesting that our sitter may be one of his younger brothers: George Gordon (1722–1801), Gen William Gordon (1736–1816), or Col Cosmo Gordon (c. 1737–after 1783). John Gordon can be excluded, as he died young in 1727. Alternatively, the sitter may be a son of one of these men.
Francis Lindo (1714–67) was reportedly born in Isleworth, although recent art-historical research identifies him as Joseph Henri Beschey, an Antwerp-born artist who worked in Britain and Lowland Scotland under the name Francis Lindo. Between 1760 and 1762, he produced oil and crayon portraits in Lowland Scotland and Aberdeenshire, ranging from small busts to full-length works.
