Sir James Wishart, c. 1659-1723

A three-quarter length portrait of Wishart. He wears a light brown coat lined with pink silk and a waistcoat with gold buttons. He has a pink sash round his waist, wears a grey full bottom wig and carries a drawn sword in his right hand. He stands on a rocky shore with a naval battle taking place in the left background. He commanded the ‘Oxford’ at Barfleur in 1692 and the ‘Eagle’ at Cadiz and Vigo Bay in 1702. He was flag captain to Sir George Rooke in 1695, in 1703-4 at Malaga and again at the taking of Gibraltar. He was a member of Prince George’s Council and was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean in 1713. Following the death of Queen Anne, however, he was summarily dismissed. The battle scene in the left background of the portrait was probably painted by the studio of Willem van de Velde the younger, either by his son Cornelis or perhaps J. van de Hagen. The portrait was presented to the Greenwich Hospital Collection by George IV in 1824.

Object Details

ID: BHC3101
Collection: Fine art
Type: Painting
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Dahl, Michael
Date made: Late 17th century - Early 18th century; unknown
People: Wishart, James; King George IV
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Greenwich Hospital Collection
Measurements: Painting: 1270 mm x 1015 mm; Frame: 1450 mm x 1220 mm