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Brown I, John

1752 – 1787

The son of a Jeweller and Watchmaker, Brown was born in Edinburgh where he attended the Trustees' Academy. In 1771 he travelled to Italy where he made accurate drawings of the ruins and remains of Antiquity. Returning to Britain in 1780 Brown enjoyed success with his small pencil portraits, which he would execute in an hour's sitting. He became a close friend of Alexander Runciman who was appointed Master of the Trustees' Academy in 1772 following his own return from Rome, where the two possibly first met, in 1771. The National Galleries of Scotland owns an oil double portrait by Runiciman of himself painting with Brown in attendance proffering his opinion (PG3545). The picture was originally owned by David Laing HRSA who gifted it tot he Society of Antiqauries of Scotland, who gifted it tot he NGS in 2009.



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