James Drummond, 1st titular Duke of Perth, 1648 - 1716. Lord Chancellor of Scotland
About this artwork
Unpopular in the west of Scotland because of his support for the Duke of Lauderdale’s anti-covenanting policies, Perth nonetheless became Lord Chancellor in 1684. The same year he was made sheriff-principal of Edinburgh and governor of Bass Rock, in the latter capacity he gained a reputation for cruelty, introducing the thumbscrew as an instrument of torture. With the accession of James VII and II, Perth converted to Catholicism and became the chief agent of the new administration in Scotland. When William of Orange arrived in 1688, Perth was imprisoned in Stirling Castle, but he was later allowed to join James on the continent and was with him until he died in 1701.
Updated before 2020
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artist:John Riley (1646 - 1691) English
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title:James Drummond, 1st titular Duke of Perth, 1648 - 1716. Lord Chancellor of Scotland
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date created:After 1670
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:Image (oval): 75.70 x 64.90 cm; Framed: 96.00 x 85.00 x 8.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1958
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accession number:PG 1850
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gallery:
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depicted:
John Riley
John Riley
Riley rose to prominence as a fashionable society painter in London at a time when British portraiture was dominated by artists from the continent. He began practising at a young age, yet it was not until the death of Sir Peter Lely in 1680 that he was most successful, being appointed Painter in...