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.