1732

This proud and cheerful portrait suggests the high hopes the exiled Stuarts had of their young prince. The grandson of the deposed king of Scotland and England, James VII and II, Charles was born in Rome. Handsome - 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' - and brave, he attempted to regain the throne for his father. In 1745, with his Jacobite army, he marched as far south as Derby but then was forced to retreat. The rising was totally defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and Charles remained in exile the rest of his life.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 73.40 x 60.30 cm (framed: 92.07 x 80.01 x 7.62 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1700

William was a prince of the House of Orange, the royal family of the Netherlands. He came to power in 1672 when he was appointed Captain-General and Stadholder and led the Dutch to victory over the French. In 1677 William married his cousin Mary, eldest daughter of the future James VII and II. In 1688 he accepted the invitation of seven Protestant peers to invade England and dislodge his Catholic father-in-law, now king. James fled to France and William was offered the throne jointly with Mary in 1689. This unsettling coloured wax image presents the king as a military hero; William spent much of his reign at war, first in Ireland and then against the French in Flanders.

• Material: Polychrome wax
• Size: Height: 29.70 cm (framed: 69.00 x 63.00 x 16.20 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1731

Born in Ireland of English settlers, Wade was a professional soldier. In 1724 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of North Britain and sent to the Highlands. He concluded that the main obstacle to 'civilising' the area was the lack of good communications. During the next eleven years, Wade supervised the building of over 250 miles of roads and forty bridges. This painting shows Wade standing before his most spectacular feat of construction, the Corrieyairack Pass (completed 1731) on the road from Fort Augustus to Dalwhinnie and Ruthven. Ironically, the Jacobite armies found these roads very convenient; in 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie's army used the Corrieyairack pass on its way south.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 75.00 x 63.20 cm (framed: 89.80 x 78.10 x 6.00 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1720

In 1703, John Campbell succeeded his father as Duke of Argyll and Chief of Clan Campbell. A strong supporter of the Union of Parliaments, he was an important political figure as well as an accomplished soldier. In 1710 he was made a Knight of the Garter, the blue ribbon of which he wears in this portrait. During the 1715 rebellion, Campbell commanded the government army at Sheriffmuir and defeated the Jacobites led by the Earl of Mar. He was rewarded for his victory with the Dukedom of Greenwich, was promoted to Field Marshal in 1736 and eventually became Commander in Chief of the British Army. William Aikman painted at least fourteen paintings of Campbell, who was a firm supporter of the artist and encouraged him to settle in London where his career flourished.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 74.90 x 62.20 cm (framed: 94.50 x 81.70 x 6.50 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

1719

The Rising of 1719 was another failed attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British throne. On the evening of 10 June the Jacobites engaged with the Hanoverian forces on the slopes of Glenshiel where the current A87 runs between Loch Cluanie and Loch Duich. Tillemans shows the battle from the government position and is based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary plans for the deployment of forces. The figure mounted on the rearing dark horse is probably General Joseph Wightman, commander of the government garrison at Inverness.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 118.00 x 164.50 cm (framed: 185.42 x 139.70 x 7.62 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1735

The Polish princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was chosen to be the bride of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart, the 'Old Pretender', who lived in gloomy exile in Rome. Jacobites everywhere rejoiced at the birth of their son, Charles, in 1720, but Clementina had a fierce temper and soon she and her much older husband were quarrelling constantly. Within months of the birth of their second child, Henry, she left James and took refuge in a convent.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 243.50 x 342.00 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

1725

This monumental painting marks the baptism of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Stuart heir to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland. The newborn baby was described as ?large and well-made? and his birth on 31 December 1720, caused great rejoicing. Later that evening Charles was baptised in accordance with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church by the Bishop of Montefiascone, in the queen?s chapel in the royal palace. Pope Clement XI, the queen?s godfather, ordered the cannons of Castel Sant?Angelo to be fired, and Jacobites claimed that a new star had appeared in the sky. James commissioned this huge painting in 1725, the year Charles was rebaptised by the Pope and the year his second son, Henry, was born. Charles is shown in the arms of his first governess, Lady Misset.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 243.90 x 350.30 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1750

Prince Charles Edward Stuart was the son of the 'Old Pretender', Prince James Francis Edward, and the grandson of King James VII and II, who was overthrown in 1688. Popularly known as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', he embodied the hopes of the exiled Jacobite dynasty. After the defeat of his army by government forces at Culloden in 1746, he escaped to France and remained in exile for the remainder of his life. In this portrait by an unknown artist, the young prince is wearing the order of the Garter and the Jacobite blue bonnet with a white cockade. The latter represents the white rose, a symbol for Jacobite sympathies, and was worn by the prince?s troops in the absence of a formal uniform.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 76.20 x 63.80 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

1732

This proud and cheerful portrait suggests the high hopes the exiled Stuarts had of their young prince. The grandson of the deposed king of Scotland and England, James VII and II, Charles was born in Rome. Handsome - 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' - and brave, he attempted to regain the throne for his father. In 1745, with his Jacobite army, he marched as far south as Derby but then was forced to retreat. The rising was totally defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and Charles remained in exile the rest of his life.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 73.40 x 60.30 cm (framed: 92.07 x 80.01 x 7.62 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1700

William was a prince of the House of Orange, the royal family of the Netherlands. He came to power in 1672 when he was appointed Captain-General and Stadholder and led the Dutch to victory over the French. In 1677 William married his cousin Mary, eldest daughter of the future James VII and II. In 1688 he accepted the invitation of seven Protestant peers to invade England and dislodge his Catholic father-in-law, now king. James fled to France and William was offered the throne jointly with Mary in 1689. This unsettling coloured wax image presents the king as a military hero; William spent much of his reign at war, first in Ireland and then against the French in Flanders.

• Material: Polychrome wax
• Size: Height: 29.70 cm (framed: 69.00 x 63.00 x 16.20 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1731

Born in Ireland of English settlers, Wade was a professional soldier. In 1724 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of North Britain and sent to the Highlands. He concluded that the main obstacle to 'civilising' the area was the lack of good communications. During the next eleven years, Wade supervised the building of over 250 miles of roads and forty bridges. This painting shows Wade standing before his most spectacular feat of construction, the Corrieyairack Pass (completed 1731) on the road from Fort Augustus to Dalwhinnie and Ruthven. Ironically, the Jacobite armies found these roads very convenient; in 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie's army used the Corrieyairack pass on its way south.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 75.00 x 63.20 cm (framed: 89.80 x 78.10 x 6.00 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1720

In 1703, John Campbell succeeded his father as Duke of Argyll and Chief of Clan Campbell. A strong supporter of the Union of Parliaments, he was an important political figure as well as an accomplished soldier. In 1710 he was made a Knight of the Garter, the blue ribbon of which he wears in this portrait. During the 1715 rebellion, Campbell commanded the government army at Sheriffmuir and defeated the Jacobites led by the Earl of Mar. He was rewarded for his victory with the Dukedom of Greenwich, was promoted to Field Marshal in 1736 and eventually became Commander in Chief of the British Army. William Aikman painted at least fourteen paintings of Campbell, who was a firm supporter of the artist and encouraged him to settle in London where his career flourished.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 74.90 x 62.20 cm (framed: 94.50 x 81.70 x 6.50 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

1719

The Rising of 1719 was another failed attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British throne. On the evening of 10 June the Jacobites engaged with the Hanoverian forces on the slopes of Glenshiel where the current A87 runs between Loch Cluanie and Loch Duich. Tillemans shows the battle from the government position and is based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary plans for the deployment of forces. The figure mounted on the rearing dark horse is probably General Joseph Wightman, commander of the government garrison at Inverness.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 118.00 x 164.50 cm (framed: 185.42 x 139.70 x 7.62 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1735

The Polish princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was chosen to be the bride of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart, the 'Old Pretender', who lived in gloomy exile in Rome. Jacobites everywhere rejoiced at the birth of their son, Charles, in 1720, but Clementina had a fierce temper and soon she and her much older husband were quarrelling constantly. Within months of the birth of their second child, Henry, she left James and took refuge in a convent.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 243.50 x 342.00 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

1725

This monumental painting marks the baptism of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Stuart heir to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland. The newborn baby was described as ?large and well-made? and his birth on 31 December 1720, caused great rejoicing. Later that evening Charles was baptised in accordance with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church by the Bishop of Montefiascone, in the queen?s chapel in the royal palace. Pope Clement XI, the queen?s godfather, ordered the cannons of Castel Sant?Angelo to be fired, and Jacobites claimed that a new star had appeared in the sky. James commissioned this huge painting in 1725, the year Charles was rebaptised by the Pope and the year his second son, Henry, was born. Charles is shown in the arms of his first governess, Lady Misset.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 243.90 x 350.30 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

About 1750

Prince Charles Edward Stuart was the son of the 'Old Pretender', Prince James Francis Edward, and the grandson of King James VII and II, who was overthrown in 1688. Popularly known as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', he embodied the hopes of the exiled Jacobite dynasty. After the defeat of his army by government forces at Culloden in 1746, he escaped to France and remained in exile for the remainder of his life. In this portrait by an unknown artist, the young prince is wearing the order of the Garter and the Jacobite blue bonnet with a white cockade. The latter represents the white rose, a symbol for Jacobite sympathies, and was worn by the prince?s troops in the absence of a formal uniform.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 76.20 x 63.80 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland