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Portrait of a soldier with a bearskin (recto)

Maker

Thomas Heaphy (artist)
1775-1835

Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1786-1869

Title

Date of Production

(circa) 1813

Medium

black and white chalk (recto), black and white chalk offset (verso), on brown wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 39 cm
Width: 28.1 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.293

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

bearskins

Label Text

Traditional depictions of the 'Ages of Man' frequently illustrated the first stage of adulthood as a man who demonstrated the peak of his physical powers by his prowess in battle. Although it is not possible firmly to attribute this drawing to Heaphy, he did travel to Spain at the end of the Peninsular War (in 1813) to make portraits of British officers. The Royal Scots Greys (see inscription upper right) were a cavalry regiment; the soldier may well be holding reins with his left hand and raising a sabre with the other.

Provenance

Colnaghi (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, 1935 (£2 and in part exchange, probably for one of numerous drawings Witt sold to Colnaghi on 16 September 1935); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000

Literature

About Time, Courtauld Gallery, 2000
unpag.
Illus. repr.

Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 26

Inscriptions

Watermark: none.

Inscription: Recto: upper right, black chalk: Peter Uwins Ayrshire / 2 Greys; upper right, brown ink: Scots Group / 12.8 1/2 / 6.5; lower right, black chalk, the numbers gone over in brown ink: 17 / 18 Waterloo.

Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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