Monday, May 23, 2011

Plaid

Major James Fraser of Castle Leathers, 1720

detail Lord George Murray, first quarter of 18th Century
Domenico Duprà, John Drummond, 1739
Charles Campbell of Lochlane, ca 1745
Richard Wilson, Flora MacDonald, 1747
William Mosman, Sir James Sir Alexander Macdonald, 1749

Cosmo Alexander, A Jacobite Lady (Jenny Cameron), ca 1745
William Mosman, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, ca 1750
George Chalmers, Sir Alexander Macdonald
Joshua Reynolds, John Murray 4th Earl of Dunmore, 1765

Henry Raeburn, Niel Gow, 1787
Henry Raeburn, Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell of Glengarry, ca 1812

David Wilkie, George IV, 1829
In eighteenth-century England tartans were outlawed, but that didn't prevent sitters from being portrayed in them in their portraits.  Noble rebels such as the Duchess of Gordon and Frederick Prince of Wales (who much like a goth kid, wore it just to annoy his parents) were known for sporting plaid and getting away with it.  For more on these portraits of Scottish pride check out Portrait of the Nation now at the National Gallery of Scotland.

7 comments:

  1. The combination of knee-high stockings and flat black shoes remind me of primary school girls (portrait 12: 'Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell of Glengarry' in particular). I doubt this was the intended effect.

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  2. Yes back then primary school girls wore suits and ties! (ba dum dishhh)

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  3. I liked them all very much, well except for the guy in the plaid golf pants. Looks good in a dress as well. Lovely shades of red, where are all the greens and blues? Retro.

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  4. Utterly fabulous! I particularly adore both ladies' dresses... oh, costume project, I see you hovering before me...

    ~Lylassandra

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  5. I like where your thoughts are going with that!

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  6. Did girls go to primary school?

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  7. No, I was just kidding; they did however get sent to French convents often to get their education!

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