James Wales, Portrait Painter 1747-1795 Figure 1. Portrait of Francis Garden, Lord Gardenstone (1721-1793) Collection of the National Trust for Scotland, Drum Castle. Here ascribed to James Wales c. 1776-7. A good deal is known about the life and work of the Scottish portrait painter, James Wales but much of it is in relation to his work in India after 1791. 1 His work in Scotland is much less well recorded and with the exception of the portrait of the Jacobite ballad-singer, Charles Leslie, (NGS, PG2624) also known as 'Mussel Mou'd Charlie' (1677- 1782) and a very competent copy of a portrait of Arthur Johnston by George Jamieson, both now in the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS, PG 329), there are very few known works. (Figs. 2 and 3) Figure 2. Charles Leslie, Mussel-Mou’d Figure 3. Arthur Johnston (c.1577-1641), poet 1 YCBA, MSS 26 and a related collection of two prints and 196 drawings in the Department of Prints and Drawings (B1977.14.22244-22441). See an excellent essay at: https://www.mq.edu.au/macquarie-archive/lema/biographies/profiles/ walesjames.html