The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Portrait of Henry Benedict Stuart, author unknown, 1742
The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Portrait of Henry Benedict Stuart, author unknown, 1742 - Photo gallery
The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Portrait of Henry Benedict Stuart, author unknown, 1742 - Photo gallery
after Étienne Parrocel
oil on canvas, 1742
National Museum in Kielce
This portrait depicts the 17-year-old Prince Henry, the future Cardinal York, and forms a pair with one of his brother.
The paintings have the same dimensions and show the two princes wearing the same richly-decorated plate armour, similar to that worn by the commander of the Pope’s Swiss Guards.
The prince wears a heavy red velvet cloak lined with ermine. Over his left shoulder is the blue sash of the English Order of the Garter (St George), and around his neck is the green ribbon of the Scottish Order of the Thistle (St Andrew). Both sons of James III/VIII were given the highest of all English and Scottish orders of chivalry as children.
The originals of both portraits are in Spain, where they belong to the descendants of the first Duke of Berwick, James FitzJames, who was the illegitimate son of King James II/VII. The one of Charles can be seen in Madrid at the Palacio de Liria, but the one of Henry is not available to the public.
The portrait of Henry in this exhibition is an excellent replica of Parrocel, painted concurrently with the original, possibly by the artist himself.
A significantly less well executed copy of the portrait of Prince Charles is at the Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland.
Featured articles
-
The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Medal commemorating Prince Henry Benedict, Cardinal-Duke of York, Gioacchino Hamerani, 1788
After the death of Charles Edward, the titular King Charles III, Cardinal Henry became the Jacobite heir to the throne as Henry IX (of England) and I (of Scotland).
-
The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Portraits of Clementina Sobieska, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Prince Henry Benedict Stuart, 1st half of the 18th century
The engravings show Queen Clementina and her sons, Prince Charles Edward (1720–1788) and Prince Henry Benedict (1725–1807).
-
The Sobieskis and Stuarts. Portrait of Clementina Sobieska, Johann Martin Bernigeroth, 1725–1750
Clementina Sobieska also became a subject of works by German engravers. The author of this small copperplate engraving, enhanced with roulette effects, produced in the second quarter of the 18th century, was probably Johann Martin Bernigeroth (1713–1767).
