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David Morier, (1705? – 8 January 1770) was an
Anglo Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to peopl ...
-
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...
painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
of portraits, military subjects and historical scenes around and after the time of the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George ...
and the related
Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
. His most recognisable work is ''
An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745 ''An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745'' is an oil painting, by the Anglo-Swiss artist David Morier (c. 1705–1770). It is part of the art collection of the British royal family. It depicts a scene during the 1746 Battle of Culloden, in which ...
''.''"A Soldier-Like Way", The Material Culture of the British Infantry 1751–1768'', Track of the Wolf, Inc., Elk River, MN, 2007, p. 1 Morier thrived during the 1750s under the patronage of the
Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom ...
, the effective commander-in-chief of the British Army. He produced a number of
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
portraits of his patron and other senior officers, as well as his greatest series of works, known as the Grenadier Paintings, which document the uniforms and equipment of the Army in the years leading up to the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
. After the Duke lost his position due to his inept leadership in this new war, Morier's career went into decline. He was jailed for debt in the Fleet prison in 1769 and died there early the next year.


Coming to Britain

Little is known of Morier's early life; even his exact year of birth is unknown. He arrived in England in 1743, and by some means obtained the patronage of the Duke during the next two years. He accompanied the Duke's army to Scotland, and while he may have been an eye-witness at the
Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
, the subject of his famous painting; he did have the opportunity to make sketches of the clothing and arms of the Jacobite prisoners in the aftermath. Morier's most famous painting - ''
An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745 ''An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745'' is an oil painting, by the Anglo-Swiss artist David Morier (c. 1705–1770). It is part of the art collection of the British royal family. It depicts a scene during the 1746 Battle of Culloden, in which ...
'' - depicts the
Highland charge The Highland charge was a battlefield shock tactic used by the clans of the Scottish Highlands which incorporated the use of firearms. Historical development Prior to the 17th century, Highlanders fought in tight formations, led by a heavily ...
at the climax of the Battle of Culloden, when the charging Highlanders faced off against Col. Barrell's
4th Regiment of Foot Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
. The painting remains the best contemporary source on the
material culture Material culture is the aspect of social reality grounded in the objects and architecture that surround people. It includes the usage, consumption, creation, and trade of objects as well as the behaviors, norms, and rituals that the objects crea ...
of both the British and the Jacobite forces in this conflict.


The Grenadier Paintings

With the coming of peace in 1748, the Duke wished to have the army's appearance recorded and chose Morier for the job, paying him a salary of 200 pounds sterling per year. Probably beginning in 1749, Morier created the Grenadier Paintings, large panels depicting the uniforms and the equipment of each of the (at that time) 49 regiments of marching infantry, plus the three regiments of the Guards infantry. On each panel three
grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...
privates of three different regiments are portrayed, in numerical order and in a variety of poses, from formal drill to route march order. Once again, Morier's care and attention to detail have provided a very valuable record of the British Army's material culture in this period, which is drawn upon by historians and reenactors to this day. Less well-known, but equally important, Morier also painted depictions of the
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...
regiments of the army. When he was finished, his patron had a visual record of every regular British regiment that had ever come under his command.


Later years

In 1757, the Duke's military career was ended by his disgrace following his defeat at the
Battle of Hastenbeck The Battle of Hastenbeck (26 July 1757) was fought as part of the Invasion of Hanover during the Seven Years' War between the allied forces of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Brunswick, and the French. The allies were defeated by ...
and his subsequent signing of the
Convention of Klosterzeven The Convention of Klosterzeven (or the Convention of Kloster-Zeven, german: Konvention von Kloster Zeven) was a convention signed on 10 September 1757 at Klosterzeven between France and the Electorate of Hanover during the Seven Years' War that ...
, and Morier appears to have lost his patronage either then, or at the Duke's death in 1765. Morier exhibited at the first exhibition of the Society of Artists in 1760, and again in 1762, 1765, and 1768, sending equestrian portraits, and in the last year ''An Old Horse and the Farmer''. By 1769 Morier was deeply in debt, and was confined to Fleet Prison. He died there in early January, 1770, at the approximate age of 65 years. His colleagues of the Society paid to have him buried at St. James's Church, Clerkenwell, London.


Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Morier, David 1710s births 1770 deaths Swiss male painters British male painters Inmates of Fleet Prison