First Previous 3 OF 62 NextLast

Prince James Francis Edward Stuart

3 of 62 portraits of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

Prince James Francis Edward Stuart

after Alexis Simon Belle
oil on copper, 1712, based on a work of circa 1712
2 5/8 in. x 2 1/8 in. (67 mm x 54 mm) oval
Purchased, 1868
Primary Collection
NPG 273

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

This portraitback to top

A miniature copy deriving from a portrait by Alexis Simeon Belle. More detailed information on this portrait is available in a National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue, John Kerslake's Early Georgian Portraits (1977, out of print).

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Kerslake, John, Early Georgian Portraits, 1977, p. 155
  • Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 332
  • Walker, Richard, Miniatures: 300 Years of the English Miniature, 1998, p. 49 Read entry

    The portrait of Prince James, the 'Old Pretender', is in oil, and a characteristic example of the medium. It is one of several contemporary copies of a well-known portrait type, painted in full-scale by Alexis-Simon Belle, probably while Belle was working as court painter to the exiled Stuart court in St Germain-en-Laye (Belle's original is now at Versailles). Oil miniatures never attained the same popularity in England as they enjoyed on the Continent.

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1712back to top

Current affairs

Whig MP, Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford is found guilty by Parliament of 'a high breach of trust and notorious corruption', over reserving army forage contracts for banker, Robert Mann, and imprisoned in the Tower. Walpole would later become the first British Prime Minister in all but name in 1721.

Art and science

Mock epic poem, The Rape of the Lock, by satirical poet Alexander Pope is first published.
Ironmonger Thomas Newcomen demonstrates his invention of the atmospheric steam engine in London.
Charles Boyle, Earl of Orrery, commissions a mechanical solar system model from mechanic John Rowley who names it an orrery.

International

Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford and John Robinson, bishop of Bristol, are appointed plenipotentiaries to the Utrecht peace congress. Foundations for peace between Britain and France, were based on preliminary agreements previously negotiated in London and Paris, the details of which were unbeknownst to the plenipotentiaries or Britain's allies.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.