Unknown man, formerly known as Prince Charles Edward Stuart

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in white, top left: PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD LOUIS, and in a different hand, in yellow, on the column: PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD LOUIS./GRANDSON OF KING JAMES the 2.nd/BORN at ROME 31.st Dec.r 1720./Died at Florence. 1788. [1]
A letter in the Gallery archives from Miss Helen Farquhar gives the following transcription from a label on the back of the frame: 'This picture was once the property of Clementina Jacobina Sobieska Macdonald, a god-daughter of "James III", who eventually married Dr Schnell, tutor to the Duke of Cumberland's son, afterwards the blind King of Hanover, George V. A similar portrait only smaller was in the possession of Count Joseph Schonbrun ... left by Mrs Schnell to Anne, Lady Cullum wife of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum, 8th ... Bart of Hardwick ... whom she had brought up'. [2]

1) Actually at Rome.
2) Letter dated 1 April 1922(?) from Helen Farquhar to J. D. Milner, director of the NPG 1916-27.

This portraitback to top

The likeness is not demonstrable and the identity has always been open to doubt. The features do not appear to be drawn from life and the only evidence is the reputed provenance and the Polish costume, his mother Maria Clementina Sobieska (q.v. NPG 1262) being the grand-daughter of John Sobieski, King of Poland.

Physical descriptionback to top

Own fair hair, brown eyes and eyebrows, youthful rounded face; Polish costume (or uniform) of black fur cap with aigrette, scarlet jacket with gold frogging, scarlet cape, open, lined with ermine; a green curtain, drawn back, reveals a column, right.

Conservationback to top

Discoloured varnish.

Provenanceback to top

Received, 1922; bequeathed, with other portraits, by G. Milner-Gibson-Cullum.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

View all known portraits for Prince Charles Edward Stuart