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Lot Essay
In 1688, Jan Wyck accompanied the new King, William III, on his campaign in Ireland, quickly gaining a reputation for battle pieces and equestrian portraiture among the Williamite commanders. The collection of armour, flags and drums in the foreground is a trope routinely employed by the artist, and appears in Wyck’s famous depiction of William III at the Boyne, a version of which is in the Government Art Collection in The Hague (inv.no. GAC2526).
While the sitter’s identity is unknown, it is possibly James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormande (1665-1745) and Colonel of the Queen’s Troop of Horse Guards during the Battle of the Boyne. The Duke’s father, James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormande (1610-1688) was an early advocate of Wyck’s landscapes, and the artist had previously depicted the Duke in his panoramic Battle of the Boyne, circa 1693, now in the National Gallery of Ireland (inv.no. NGI.988).
While the sitter’s identity is unknown, it is possibly James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormande (1665-1745) and Colonel of the Queen’s Troop of Horse Guards during the Battle of the Boyne. The Duke’s father, James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormande (1610-1688) was an early advocate of Wyck’s landscapes, and the artist had previously depicted the Duke in his panoramic Battle of the Boyne, circa 1693, now in the National Gallery of Ireland (inv.no. NGI.988).