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Notes
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This unusual portrait of a man on his deathbed was thought to depict James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II. He was beheaded for leading the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. However, the length of the hair and style of this portrait suggest a date in the 1640s. Therefore this portrait cannot represent Monmouth. Deathbed portraiture had some popularity in the 1640s; it helped to secure the reputation of the deceased and provide a visual memory for the bereaved. The identity of the sitter is not known but one possibility is the nobleman Edward Sackville (c.1623–1646), brother of the 5th Earl of Dorset. Sackville was killed fighting for the Royalists in the civil war. His marriage to Bridget Wray may explain the Wray family's subsequent ownership of this portrait.
Title
Unknown man, formerly known as James Scott, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch
Date
c.1640s
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 56.5 x W 66.7 cm
Accession number
1566
Acquisition method
Purchased, 1910. On long-term loan to Montacute House, Somerset
Work type
Painting
National Portrait Gallery, London
St Martin’s Place, London, Greater London WC2H 0HE England
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