According to Redgrave, Edridge moved from painting traditional miniatures to drawings in pencil or indian ink on paper and finally to full-length miniatures in pencil and watercolour, as in this case (S. Redgrave, A Dictionary of the English School, 1874, p.138). Edridge's earliest recorded miniature dates from 1788 and he was using pencil by 1800. This full-length type, first introduced by Cosway (see lot 64), commanded twenty guineas by 1806, according to Joseph Farington (Diary, 30 March 1806).
The device of a black eagle in the centre of the star on the sabretache suggests that this is a young officer of the 14th Light Dragoons. We are grateful to Col. Peter Walton for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.