Dear All,
Sorry to be late in responding - we have been suffering a heatwave this last wk - apologies to all those in the northern hemisphere!
Well, this is amazing, to have galloped so far ahead so quickly! Thank you so much for all this wonderful new information. I feel we are all continuing on with the connections begun all those years ago. I will try and answer as much as possible.
Firstly, my interest in Gallaway began with our family's 4 miniatures by him. As I only have a possibillity as to who they are - we have no Scottish connections - I thought I'd see if researching the artist might help. The result is I am now planning a book on Gallaway! So anything anyone can add will be gratefully received.
I will of course consult with you as to permission and privacy matters as they arise.
John, you will be pleased to know that the McIntoshes and Macarthurs were indeed related: Jane McIntosh nee Gallaway was the sister of Anne Macarthur nee Gallaway. So there are probably quite a lot of other miniatures by AG about in private hands. That I have 'found' some new ones is a thrill. The date, c. 1810, certainly fits in with AG's period and the sitters being elderly helps as William McIntosh snr died in 1814. 1810 is also the yr that William jnr and Jane married! (I'm pleased to now know, though not for them of course, that they had no children - one less line to track.) Marriage portraits were a tradition of this period, so it is not unlikely they were all painted at the same time. AG did sign in full with an address on the back, so if your miniatures are still intact and sealed (often in red leather cases), the only way to identify the artist is to compare them with others. AG painted many family portraits - it isn't known if they paid him! My feeling is yours are by him. I am hoping you might have images you could email, as that may reveal more?
Monica and Jane: there may be some info re Aeneas McBean on this excellent site for Hugh William Williams:
http://sites.google.com/site/hughwilliamwilliams/exhibitions-and-exhibiting-societiesJane, I will follow up the notes I find in Sydney. Not sure when this will be. I found this in my wanderings on the London-Nairnshire Soc. -see ref. to Falconer:
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/george-bain/history-of-nairnshire-nia/page-41-history-of-nairnshire-nia.shtmlHere is a great portrait of James August Grant of Viewfield, m. Elizabeth McIntosh
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/james-augustus-grant-esq-of-viewfield-17771868-166931This is also a brilliant site for following up paintings of people and places as all the locations can be cross-referenced. I find if I have a portrait in front of me, so much more is revealed - my art training I suppose.
All for now. Thanks again everyone so much.
Kind regards,
Francesr