James Cunningham, Last Earl of Glencairn

Unidentified (British), James Cunningham, Last Earl of Glencairn, ca. 1790, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William Mouat Hannay, 1951.3.8
Copied Unidentified (British), James Cunningham, Last Earl of Glencairn, ca. 1790, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 1⁄2 x 1 7⁄8 in. (6.3 x 4.8 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William Mouat Hannay, 1951.3.8
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Artwork Details

Title
James Cunningham, Last Earl of Glencairn
Artist
Unidentified (British)
Date
ca. 1790
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 1⁄2 x 1 7⁄8 in. (6.3 x 4.8 cm) oval
Credit Line
Gift of William Mouat Hannay
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — other — aristocrat
  • Portrait male — Cunningham, James — bust
Object Number
1951.3.8
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1951.3.8

Artwork Description

Born in Scotland, James Cunningham was the fourteenth Earl of Glencairn from 1775 until his death in 1791. Because James had no children, his brother John succeeded him, making John the last earl of Glencairn, rather than James as the title of this piece suggests. After James’s death, his friend the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote “Lament for James Cunningham, 14th Earl of Glencairn.” The last lines of the poem read: “The mother may forget the child/ that smiles sae sweetly on her knee;/ But I’ll remember thee Glencairn/ and a’ that thou hast done for me.” The intricately woven hair on the reverse of the portrait is probably Cunningham’s, suggesting that this was a piece of mourning jewelry.