Robert Strange (attr.), Portrait of Charles Edward Stuart, ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’

Portrait of Charles Edward Stuart, ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie,’ later King Charles III (Jacobite)
Attributed to Sir Robert Strange
c. 1745
Oil on oak panel
8 x 6 ¼ in. (20 x 16 cm.)
Frame: 14 x 12 ¼ in. (36 x 32 cm.)

This image depicts the Young Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, during the Jacobite rising of 1745 in which he gained the moniker ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie.’ Prince Charles landed in Scotland with half a dozen men to seize the throne for his exiled father James Francis Edward Stuart, de jure King James III, for whom he acted as Prince Regent. This painting portrays the prince with a candid, noble countenance, displaying the confidence which inspired Charles and his adherents to retake Scotland and march on England. The legitimacy of this attempted restoration is here emblematised by the Garter star and sash awarded to Charles by ‘the king over the water.’

The likely artist is Sir Robert Strange (1721-92), a native of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, who honed his skills under the guidance of the engraver Richard Cooper (1701–1764). He was appointed as Miniature Painter and Engraver to Prince Charles and though renowned on the Continent for his engravings after Van Dyck and Italian Baroque painters, Strange is best known in Britain for his small-scale portraits, particularly those of the leaders of the 45’, such as Lord George Murray. Strange's allegiance to the Jacobite cause was influenced by his love for Isabella Lumisden, who insisted that he fight as a condition for their future marriage. He took part in significant battles such as Falkirk, Prestonpans, and Culloden and even designed Jacobite banknotes in the field. During a period of hiding before the amnesty of 1747, Strange produced clandestine portraits using pencil, oil, and engravings, which were cherished by their secret owners. Returning to England after a decade abroad, Strange was approached by Allan Ramsay to engrave Hanoverian portraits which ironically led to him being knighted by George III. The King playfully alluded to Strange's youthful sympathies when he remarked: ‘unless Mr. Strange, you object to being knighted by the Elector of Hanover!’

This oil-on-panel may be a larger version of the famous engraving of Prince Charles which Sir Robert Strange created in 1745. Rapidly disseminated to inspire loyalty to the impending new regime, this engraving was probably based on the Ramsay portrait commissioned by the prince at Holyroodhouse now on display in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Whereas the latter emphasised Charles’s English iconography, this portrait with its green robe reflects Scottish sentiment and the clansmen who supported his ultimately abortive campaign. Images painted of Prince Charles at the time of the 45’ are exceedingly rare, as too are those painted of him in the British Isles by native artists or otherwise. This painting thus forms an important window into one of Britain’s most turbulent and romanticised periods, representing a previous contender for the title of King Charles III at the height of his valour.

The portrait is in excellent condition and presented in a later hand-carved gilt wood frame.

Provenance:
Cirencester House, seat of the Earls of Bathurst;
Frost & Reed, Bristol;
Darnley Fine Art, London;
Private Collection, UK.