Portrait of an unknown Jacobite

Portrait of an unknown Jacobite

Artist unknown
18th century
Oil on copper, silk, leather, paper engraving

Our June Object of the Month is this fascinating portrait miniature of an unidentified man. The portrait is in its original leather locket which would have been used to keep it safe and carry it. The other half of the leather locket was used to display an important clue which gives us some more information about the man’s identity – a miniature engraving of Charles Edward Stuart. Portrait miniatures of the Stuart family were produced and owned by their supporters, known as the Jacobites. They believed that the Stuarts were the rightful rulers of Scotland and England, even though King James II of England (and VII of Scotland) fled to France in 1688 under threat of invasion by William of Orange. The engraving of Charles Edward Stuart (the grandson of James II) in the locket of the portrait miniature implies that the man in the portrait was a Jacobite.

Portrait miniature of Charles Edward Stuart, Sir Robert Strange, 1745, Chiddingstone Castle collection, object number 01.3272

There are only a few more clues that could help us understand more about the man in the portrait miniature. The first is that he is wearing a long curly wig which, according to the article ‘The Age of Powder and Paint’ from the National Trust for Scotland, was a typical style for the early 1700s. These wigs were designed to fall below the shoulders and were curled using a curling iron. The fact that the locket includes an engraving of Charles Edward Stuart, which is likely to have been made around the mid-1700s, helps us narrow down the timeframe when the man would have lived. The man’s clothing could also give us some further information, as it appears to be typical of English fashion at the time. The portrait below illustrates a similar wig and neck scarf to the one that our unidentified man is wearing. 

Portrait of Sir Myles Stapylton, fourth Baronet of Myton, by John Fayram, ca. 1730, York Museums Trust (wikimedia commons)

The engraving of Charles Edward Stuart included opposite the man’s portrait miniature is unusual because of its shape and size. Surrounding Charles are the stylised petals of the white rose emblem of the Stuarts. In each petal is an image emphasising the Jacobite belief that Charles Edward Stuart, as the grandson of the James II, was the rightful heir to the throne. These include a crown with three feathers - the symbol of the Prince of Wales.

The engraving of Charles Edward Stuart appears to be a miniature copy of a famous engraving by Sir Robert Strange. The artist of the miniature portrait has added to Strange’s original composition by giving Charles a pendant around his neck in addition to his Order of the Garter sash and badge. The pendant may be the Order of the Thistle, the greatest order of chivalry of Scotland. Charles Edward Stuart was often depicted wearing tartan or with other Scottish regalia or symbols, as he gathered an army of Scottish highlanders in 1745 in his attempt to march to London and take back the throne for his family.

Engraving of Charles Edward Stuart by Sir Robert Strange, Chiddingstone Castle collection, object number 01.1813

Our June Object of the Month can be viewed as part of a display of portrait miniatures in the Castle’s Print Room, where highlights from the Stuart and Jacobite collection are displayed. Although we no longer know the name of the man depicted in this portrait miniature, his likeness is preserved alongside that of Charles Edward Stuart in this rare and intriguing Jacobite object.

This object is just one of the many objects that form part of Denys Eyre Bower’s five impressive collections which include Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Buddhist, Stuart and Jacobite, and Books. For more information on these objects, review our Object of the Month series, visit the Historic House and Collections or contact our Curator, Naomi Collick by email or by calling 01892 870347.