Background
Born in York, he was the son of the Reverend James Raine and Ann Jane Keyworth.
Born in York, he was the son of the Reverend James Raine and Ann Jane Keyworth.
Raine was commonly known as "The cellar artist ". The techniques he employed in his underground studio off Hanover square in the west end of London were 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 pallet and using specially commissioned black canvas, Raine was able to complete a portrait in a mere five hours, meaning the sitter would only need to visit his studio on one occasion.
The interest in Raine spread across the world and stories revolving around his method of painting in the dark were printed.
Many politicians, aristocrats and socialites became patrons of his work, including Sir Neville Chamberlain Kansas City.B, Lady Chamberlain, Lord and Lady Iveagh, Lord Kingston, The Countess of Shaftesbury, Lord Effingham, Sir Claude De Crespigny and Mistress Fritz Ponsonby, the wife of the private secretary to the King.
York Museum contains some examples of his work.