William Mosman, Sir James Macdonald and Sir Alexander Macdonald. C. 1749

English, Nederlands

English

Sir James Macdonald (1741 - 1766) and Sir Alexander Macdonald (1744/1745 - 1795); about 1749. Attributed to William Mosman (c. 1700 - 1771)

The two boys, James on the right and Alexander on the left, were the sons of Sir Alexander Macdonald of Macdonald, a great Highland chieftain with estates on the Isle of Skye. James is shown with his gun, Alexander is playing golf. Golf was already a well-established pastime in Scotland by this time. The children wear three different patterns of tartan between them, as individual family or clan patterns did not become widely established until the end of the eighteenth century.

Mosman was probably born in Aberdeen and became a pupil of Francesco Imperiali in Rome in 1732. He spent about six years in Italy but he visited Aberdeen in 1738 and painted several portraits of the Duff family. He returned permanently to Scotland in 1740. In the early 1750s Mosman moved north, settling in Aberdeen, where he set up a drawing academy in the early 1760s.

Medium Oil on canvas. 69.50 x 58.00 in; 176,50 x 147,30 cm.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery (PG 2127)

Nederlands

Mac Donalds kinderen uit circa 1750 door William Mosman. Tot enkele jaren gelden werd dit schilderij abusievelijk toegeschreven aan Jeremiah Davidson.

Afgebeeld zijn Alexander, 1st Lord Macdonald (c. 1745 - 1795) en zijn broer Sir James Macdonald of Sleat, 8th Bart (overleden in 1766)

Uit dit schilderij blijkt de belangstelling voor colf bij de gegoede klasse. Ze spelen met een 'Schotse kliek'.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Bron: Cees van Woerden, Golf & Kolf, zeven eeuwen geschiedenis. ISBN 90-71542-77-7.