Born in
York, he was the son of the
Reverend James Raine and Ann Jane Keyworth; and the great nephew of
William Powell Frith, In 1895, according to a newspaper report in the
York Herald, Raine was commissioned to paint the portrait of
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, the sixth child of
Queen Victoria, at
Kensington Palace. Raine, on his own account, began painting portraits by candlelight in 1897. In 1901, a portrait of
Francis Foljambe by Raine, and a self-portrait, were hanging at Osberton Hall. Raine was described in newspapers as "The cellar artist". Stories about his method of painting in the dark were printed. The techniques he employed in his underground studio off
Hanover Square, Westminster were stated to be an effort to recreate the style and results of artists he admired, such as
Titian,
Rembrandt and
Velazquez. Painting by candlelight, using only three colours on his
palette and using special black canvas, Raine was able to complete a portrait in five hours, meaning the sitter would only need to visit his studio on one occasion. A newspaper report of 1904 stated that he never exhibited, and had painted portraits of
Henry Edwyn King-Tenison, 9th Earl of Kingston and Charles Innes-Ker.
York Art Gallery contains examples of his work. == References ==