{{Short description|Scottish artist (1745–1834)}} {{about|the Scottish portrait painter|the American endocrinologist|Anne Pappenheimer Forbes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} [[File:Anne Forbes, by David Allan.jpg|thumb|Anne Forbes (David Allan, 1781)]] '''Anne Forbes''' (1745–1834) was a Scottish portrait painter educated in Rome. She worked in London until her time there was cut short by illness, and later in Edinburgh, where she was Portrait Painter to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. She was one of the first Scottish women artists to make a career from painting, and according to Colin Russell "her importance remains in her struggle against gender prejudice".<ref name=russell/>
== Life == She was the granddaughter of the portraitist William Aikman, and was educated in Italy by the Scottish artists Gavin Hamilton and James Nevay, amongst others. Having underestimated the travel and living costs involved, she was obliged to secure the financial support of a small syndicate of interested friends.<ref name ="Skinner1966">Skinner, Basil (1966), ''Scots in Italy in the 18th Century'', National Galleries of Scotland, p. 25,</ref> She returned to Britain, setting up business in London for a few years. However, her business was not a success, Forbes being unable to produce works fast enough to meet the requirements of her clients, and she fell ill, eventually returning to Scotland. In 1788 she was appointed Portrait Painter to the Society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh,<ref>Rostek, Charlotte (2022), ''Scottish Women Artists'', The Fleming Collection, p. 8, {{isbn|9781399910323}}</ref> and she was able to make a living, albeit not a rich one, from painting and teaching art.<ref name=russell>{{cite book|last1=Russell|first1=Colin|title=Who Made the Scottish Enlightenment?|year=2014|page=144|isbn=9781499091045|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tGQxBQAAQBAJ&q=anne+forbes+artist&pg=PA144}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Macmillan|first1=Duncan|title=Scottish Art 1460-2000|date=2000|publisher=Mainstream|page=111}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Sloan|first1=Kim|editor1-last=Gaze|editor1-first=Delia|title=Dictionary of Women Artists, Volume 1|date=1997|publisher=Taylor & Francis|pages=538–539}}</ref> The Scottish National Portrait Gallery has a portrait of her by David Allan.
== Works == thumb|Anne Forbes, ''Lady Anne Stewart (1703 - 1783)'', 1774, National Galleries of Scotland Her portrait of Lady Anne Stewart is in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lady Anne Stewart (1703–1783) by Anne Forbes|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/lady-anne-stewart-17031783-210059|website=BBC: Your Paintings|accessdate=30 November 2014}}</ref> The National Portrait Gallery in London has a mezzotint after her portrait of Alexander Hume, Lord Polwarth.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alexander Hume, Lord Polwarth|url=http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw202714/Alexander-Hume-Lord-Polwarth?LinkID=mp126092&role=art&rNo=0|website=National Portrait Gallery (London) website|accessdate=30 November 2014}}</ref> Paintings of Lady Elizabeth Penelope Crichton and Countess Margaret, wife of the 6th Earl of Dumfries are in Dumfries House, Cumnock, East Ayrshire.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/a/artist/david-allan/object/anne-forbes-1745-1834-artist-pg-191 Portrait of Anne Forbes by David Allan] * {{Art UK bio}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Anne}} Category:1745 births Category:1834 deaths Category:Scottish portrait painters Category:18th-century Scottish painters Category:19th-century Scottish painters Category:19th-century Scottish women painters Category:18th-century Scottish women artists Category:18th-century British women painters