Description
the oval portrait on ivory of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in tartan doublet with blue sash and Garter star, contained within a reeded gold frame, foliate suspender, the reverse set with a polished panel of Montrose blue lace agate, contained in an oval shagreen case with green velvet lining
Dimensions
50mm high (including suspender)
Footnote
Provenance:
Threipland family collection
By direct descent
Fingask Castle, 26th – 28th April 1993, Christies, Lot 834
Note:
This miniature is a copy after Robert Strange's mezzotint Prince Charles Edward Stuart circa1749. Strange (Scottish 1721-1792) is an artist synonymous with Jacobite portraiture and this image a very familiar view of the Prince, as Strange had captured his likeness in both a mezzotint and engraving. Both of these works were very widely distributed following the rebellion of 1745, and became the most utilised basis for copies right up until 1760. In a large number of the copies, as here, the plain coat of Strange's original outfit is transformed into a tartan coat, a type of cloth that had quickly become synonymous with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite cause.