Portrait of a Royalist Cavalry Officer

From the Bridgeman Art Library (hence the watermark). I can see no reason why this has been labelled as Royalist or cavalry, but there you are. It is undated, though to my eye, the clothes and the style of the portrait set it firmly in the Civil War period. The picture is in private hands somewhere and is  © Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts, New York.

The officer is staring out of the picture quite nonchalantly and is standing defiantly foursquare in his buff coat and breeches. He looks like he’d rather be off out than stay indoors having his portrait painted.

The perfectly white sleeves of his doublet contrast with the black of his breeches and are brocaded (or perhaps embroidered) in an intricate pattern whilst his buff leather coat is also extravagantly laced at the front. His falling band is edged in a wide band of lace, though his cuffs don’t actually match, being ruffled but not edged with lace. Note also the line of buttons down the side of his breeches and around the bottom edge too. His boots are lined with red leather and the boothose edged with lace, though again not the same pattern as his band, which is either sloppy dressing or indicates that as a soldier he didn’t care too much! He is wearing spurs to indicate that he is off to ride a horse, though not necessarily in a cavalry regiment. His baldric and sword seem to be quite plain and businesslike which suggests that they have seen action.

 

Charles II as a boy

This painting is attributed to Dobson and shows the young prince, younger than he was when painted by William Dobson for the portrait that is better known. He is dressed as a soldier with buff coat over a slashed silk doublet, but the whole effect is riches, brocaded silk breeches, wide laced collar and soft boots with boothose to match his breeches. He’s holding a broad brimmed hat with a white ostrich plume and ribbon favour. There is an odd detail on the right hand, a silk scarf end has been painted but the scarf doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Perhaps it is just knotted around his arm or maybe it’s a mistake. This picture hangs in Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum

Sir William Fairfax of Steenton

The cousin of the more famous Thomas Fairfax, Sir William also fought with distinction on the Parliament side during the war. Here he is painted, possibly by Edward Bower in an outrageous black taffeta scarf in front of his campaign tent, a typical battle scene in the background. He’s wearing a sleeved buffcoat and armour ready for war, but his accessories are just a bit too over the top for action. The picture hangs in the National Trust property Hatchlands, near Guildford.

 

 

Look at the metallic threads in the ribbons decorating his grey breeches and the end of his scarf, not to mention the perfectly starched linen double-layered white boot hose and spotless boots.

 

 

 

 

This detail shows clearly the thickness of leather in his buff coat and the gilding on the fixings of his armour. You can also see the butt joined seam on the coat sleeve.

 

 

 

 

 

Plain gauntlets agreed, but spot the metallic fringes.

 

 

 

 

And just outside the battle rages on. He’s not been near a battle in this get up. I’d put money on it!

 

 

 

Englands Wolfe With Eagles Clawes

or The cruell Impieties of Bloud-thirsty Royalists and blasphemous Anti-Parliamentarians under the Command of that inhumane Prince Rupert, Digby and the rest. I was reminded recently of this picture when I read a new blog on our period, http://eagleclawedwolfe.wordpress.com/. Looks like it may be worth watching. Published in 1647, the Wolfe bears comparison with the Seventeenth Century Chav I commented on recently. Typical late 1640s high fashion, skimpy doublet that shows his shirt ruffles in the gap between the doublet and the straight breeches. He’s also grown the fur on his head long enough in one place to make a lovelock. What a dandy!

Here’s a close up of his midriff, showing details of his shirt and cuff ruffles, the turnbacks on his doublet sleeves and, to his great shame the undone breeches flys.

John Belasyse

Painted by Gilbert Jackson, sometime between 1640 and 41 we think. The royalist officer is painted in a splendidly fashionable doublet and breeches, falling band that is almost completely cutwork, two layers of the same on his cuffs and a nice pair of soft boots with matching boot hose. The sword he is holding will hang from the matching embroidered baldrick when he puts it over his shoulder.

Come Friend Array Your Selfe

From the Thomason tracts, an anonymous single page pamphlet from 1642. Real quality clothes on the soldier, Col Thomas Lunsford of the Tower of London in the only real depiction I know of an English montero cap. Nice bandolier of “boxes” on the bishop too!