|
Date: |
|
Description: | James II (1633-1701) was the second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. In 1660 he secretly married Anne Hyde, daughter of the Earl of Clarendon and was created Lord High Admiral. Around 1670 he converted to Catholicism and in 1673 as a result of the Test Act he ceased to be High Admiral. In that year he also married his second wife Mary of Modena and in 1685 he succeeded his brother Charles II to the throne. As a result of his pro-Catholic policies he attracted considerable opposition from his parliament and people and in 1688 he abdicated when William III was invited to England. He lived his last days in exile at St Germains in France. This painting is a typical Lely studio product in which the hand of the master may only have contributed to the face. It was probably painted during the 1660s or 70s while the future King James II was Lord High Admiral. He is represented dressed in armour indicating his military status and holding the traditional emblem of leadership, the baton of command. Behind him the classical fluted column is both an indicator of the portrait's noble setting and an emblem of fortitude. Lely frequently used this type of composition for his royal and ducal portraits. | Subjects: | portrait (James II as Duke of York) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Lely, Peter (Dutch painter and draftsman, 1618-1680, active in England) Æ Attributed to studio of | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8727... | Go to resource |
|
|