John Mackenzie

The last portrait painted by Berczy, John Mackenzie is also his most personal work. The picture's small format and simple composition are perfectly suited to the artist's talents as a trained miniaturist. Striving invariably for a meticulous finish, Berczy preferred to paint on a rigid surface. The youth's expression is calm, his gaze frank and direct. Evoking the Scottish origins of the sitter's father, the tartan jacket and shawl, together with the tall cockaded feather bonnet, lend the figure remarkable charisma.