Willem Wissing, ca. 1656–1687, Dutch, active in Britain (by 1676)and background by Jan Wyck, ca. 1645–1700, Dutch, active in Britain (from ca. 1664)
Title:
A Military Commander, Possibly Percy Kirke
Date:
1684
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
49 3/4 x 40 3/8 inches (126.4 x 102.6 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1979.18
Gallery Label:
It may not be a coincidence that a generation before this painting of William Stanley, ninth Earl of Derby, was completed, his family's castle was destroyed in a scene that likely looked similar to the one in the portrait’s background. Greenhalgh castle, constructed in 1490 by the first Earl of Derby, surrendered after a two-year-long siege (1644–45) launched by Oliver Cromwell’s forces during the English Civil War and was promptly slighted (partially destroyed) to ensure that it would never again be used for military purposes. In his portrait, Stanley grips a baton of command, signaling that his family's loss did little to diminish his authority. Gallery label for Art in Focus: The British Castle - A Symbol in Stone (Yale Center for British Art, 2017-04-07 - 2017-08-06)
