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拍品專文
Forced to abdicate and flee England by the so-called 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688, the Catholic King James II initially escaped to France, but went to Ireland the following year (1689), with armed support from Louis XIV, in a vain attempt to recover his throne. In the event, the campaign to reassert James's rule over Ireland faltered soon after the arrival of English troops, but the threat of insurrection remained well into the next year, when William III decided to take personal control of his army across the Irish Sea. Once ashore, William rapidly consolidated his forces and decisively defeated James at the battle of the Boyne (12th July 1690) thereby ending Stuart pretensions and forcing James back into exile in France.
Although hitherto unidentified, the various elements of the work offered in this catalogue strongly suggest that it is one of several contemporary paintings to depict William III landing at Carrickfergus on 14th June 1690 to assume command of his army immediately prior to the battle of the Boyne. The principal features of this work, which are strikingly similar to those in other known compositions, are: in the centre of the painting is Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell's flagship Monck firing a salute to announce her arrival off the fortified town; whilst to the right of the flagship is the royal yacht Mary, which actually brought the King from England, with other ships of the fleet standing out to sea; in the left foreground, the King - one of the two figures seated in the stern - is being rowed ashore in Sir Cloudesley Shovell's barge. Whilst there are, of course, some minor discrepancies in the overall historical accuracy of the portrayal, it nevertheless seems certain that this is the scene depicted.
Jacob Knyff spent a period of time in Paris before settling in London in 1672. He specialised in marine scenes and was greatly inspired by the work of the Dutch seventeenth-century marine painter Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707). In addition to painting foreign harbours and warships, Knyff depicted British Castles and country houses.
Although hitherto unidentified, the various elements of the work offered in this catalogue strongly suggest that it is one of several contemporary paintings to depict William III landing at Carrickfergus on 14th June 1690 to assume command of his army immediately prior to the battle of the Boyne. The principal features of this work, which are strikingly similar to those in other known compositions, are: in the centre of the painting is Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell's flagship Monck firing a salute to announce her arrival off the fortified town; whilst to the right of the flagship is the royal yacht Mary, which actually brought the King from England, with other ships of the fleet standing out to sea; in the left foreground, the King - one of the two figures seated in the stern - is being rowed ashore in Sir Cloudesley Shovell's barge. Whilst there are, of course, some minor discrepancies in the overall historical accuracy of the portrayal, it nevertheless seems certain that this is the scene depicted.
Jacob Knyff spent a period of time in Paris before settling in London in 1672. He specialised in marine scenes and was greatly inspired by the work of the Dutch seventeenth-century marine painter Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707). In addition to painting foreign harbours and warships, Knyff depicted British Castles and country houses.