Thursday 22 January 2009

Kilmainham mystery battle painting

This is something quite fascinating and I hope you all pitch in to identify this mystery painting.
These images were sent by journalist Maurice Healy and he is hoping maybe some of us can shed some light on the identity of the subject and the artist. Hanging in the Kilmainham military hospital - (a Dublin version of the Chelsea Hospital and modelled on les Invalides) this painting was donated some time in the 19th century. It was originally thought to be the Boyne (1690) but on cleaning an earlier date was discovered.
It reads
Joa(h?)nne(s?) FAP(?) Ae(?) 1672
Events of 1672 here
The OPW - Office of Public Works would love to know more about the painting. Let's see what we can find out about it - the clothing styles certainly suggest 1672 is in the right time period but usually battle paintings are made a couple of years after the event. Short sleeved coats and cravats are depicted as well as some doublet type jackets suggesting earlier... but what battle? Anyone recognise the central figure or any of the flags? Any stylistic similarities with painters of that era? I'm not making any guesses as I want you all to look at it first and make your thoughts known.



























1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It might be commercial product depicting some generic battle scene.