' The Archers' Sir Henry Raeburn . Scottish (1756-1823) Oil on canvas , circa 1789-1790 . The National Gallery , London.

'The Archers' is one of a small number of outstanding portraits from the early part of Raeburn's career , in which he employed an exceptionally accomplished and subtle fusion of arresting compositions and dramatic treatment of light and shade to create a sense of intimacy between the spectators and sitters . The portrait is datable to about 1789 or 1790 , when the young subjects were in their late teens . Robert and Ronald Ferguson became members of the Royal Company of Archers in 1792 and 1801 respectively and the contemporary revival of archery as a fashionable sport appears to have served as an inspiration for the composition. The two brothers are shown in a striking and complex arrangement of contrasts. Robert is lit from the left , while Ronald behind him is shown entirely in shadow , gazing out at the viewer while framed in the tautened bow of his brother. The stillness, darkness and broad , confident application of paint combine to create a sense of hushed atmosphere , which is at once formal and verging on the romantic.