Stickland Lowry (1737-1785) - Portrait Of An Infantry Officer Circa 1780.

An 18th-century British portrait of an infantry officer, circa 1780, attributed to Stickland Lowry (1737-1785). Stickland Lowry (1737-1785) Lowry was a portrait painter born in Whitehaven, Cumbria. He is known to have worked in Staffordshire, Shropshire, Dublin, and particularly in Northern Ireland, where he resided until the early 1780s. He produced thirteen church engravings, published in the History and Antiquities of Shrewsbury (1779). He was a patron of Sir John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira. In addition to portraits, his output included still lifes and trompe-l'oeils, works that demonstrate his versatility and skill. The elegant sitter is shown in three-quarter view, among foliage, against a stormy sky and a military encampment. His left hand is in his pocket, while his right hand holds his sword and his hat is tucked into his arm. With his head and eyes averted from the viewer, he stares into the distance, lost in thought. We know this man is an infantry officer because his uniform is cut in accordance with the 1768 Clothing Order, and his costume consists of a scarlet coat with black facings and two silver buttons, worn over a white jabot shirt, a gray waistcoat, and a silver gorget that glitters in the light. It is likely this officer is a militia officer because his buttons are not numbered, nor is his sword strap. From 1767 onward, regiments were ordered to number their buttons with their regimental precedence number, which could appear in Arabic or Roman numerals, but there are none here. Nor is its silver lace bow with black braid the type worn by officers since at least 1751 by career officers. Militia: Part-time soldiers managed by the local landowning class and organized by county or, in the case of Yorkshire, by constituency. The Militia was exclusively for home defense and could not be sent overseas. It was "incorporated"—called up for active service—in time of war and, along with the regular regiments remaining in Britain, formed the army capable of repelling any French invasion. After the French and Spanish entered the American War of Independence in 1778, the Militia was incorporated and did not cease operations until early 1783. During the summer, both the regulars and the Militia went to strategically positioned drill camps in Kent and Essex to be ready to repel an invasion. The background perfectly illustrates the type of encampment one might expect. Particularly noteworthy is the rose on the officer's lapel and the heart-shaped jewel on his shirt jabot. The regular regiments that fought at Minden in 1759 always wore (and still wear) roses in their buttonholes to commemorate this date, but no regiment at Minden wore black facings. This work may even be one of the few surviving examples of a wedding portrait, charged with emotion and evoking a private matrimonial event. In excellent condition, it is ready to hang and admire in its original carved black wood frame enhanced with gilt. I warmly thank art historian Adam Busiakiewicz for his generous suggestion regarding the authorship of this work, as well as Dr. Andrew Cormack for his invaluable assistance with military and historical details. Provenance: Private collection, New England, USA. High-resolution images upon request. International shipping available. Canvas: 97 cm x 76.5 cm. Frame: 113 cm x 97 cm.