1) Abraham Rawlinson, of Grassyard Hall, Canton, near Lancaster; 2) Ellenor Godsalve, wife of Abraham Rawlinson

Various

Lancaster Maritime Museum

1) 1772; 2) circa 1772

A pair of portraits of Abraham Rawlinson and his wife commissioned by Rawlinson's daughter and her husband William Lindow, a notorious Lancaster slaver. The portrait of Abraham Rawlinson has confidently been attributed to George Romney while the portrait of Ellenor is by an unknown artist, perhaps James Cranke. Abraham Rawlinson was one of the most powerful merchants trading with the West Indies in 18th century Lancaster, he was a plantation owner, whose commercial interests in the West Indies Trade were wide and all embracing, ranging from being the principal importers of the finest mahogany into Lancaster, supplying the renowned firm of Gillows of Lancaster, to all aspects of the Slave Trade.

• Artists Include:
• George Romney
• British

• Medium: oil on canvas
• Dimensions: Each: 76 x 63.5cm
• Art Fund Grant: £1500 ( Total: £6,000)
• ArtFunded in: 2009
• Vendor: Private collection

Provenance

William Lindow, 1772; by descent through the Rawlinson family to Sarah Cowell Bevan, ?1855;...; Galerie-Metropol, Austria; private collection, 2008; Sotheby's, 2008, unsold. The work has been vetted by the Art Loss Register and the Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques database.

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