Niel Gow (1727-1807) was Scotland's most famous fiddle player. His compositions helped define the Scottish fiddle tradition, and he was a celebrity in both Scotland and London.

Where is Portrait of Niel Gow displayed?

It hangs at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland.

What is significant about this portrait?

Raeburn typically painted aristocrats and the elite. Gow was the only commoner he painted whose portrait was later engraved for wider distribution.

Where Is Portrait of Niel Gow? Museum Location

Scottish artist Henry Raeburn painted this Portrait of Niel Gow around 1787-1793, depicting Scotland's most celebrated fiddle player in a three-quarter length view. Gow sits in a chair wearing plaid breeches and stockings, playing his violin. Though a celebrity in both Scotland and London, Gow was the only "man of the people" painted by Raeburn whose portrait was later engraved.

Niel Gow (1727-1807) was an influential figure in Scottish traditional music. His compositions and performances helped define the Scottish fiddle tradition, and his son Nathaniel continued the family's musical legacy as a dance-band impresario and sheet music publisher. The portrait captures Gow in his natural element, instrument in hand.

The painting hangs at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh. A mezzotint print by William Say, created in 1815 after Raeburn's painting, helped spread Gow's image to wider audiences when Nathaniel Gow published a new edition of his father's tunes. The portrait remains one of the most beloved images of Scottish musical heritage.