Portrait of William Gordon
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| Portrait of William Gordon | |
|---|---|
_-_Colonel_William_Gordon_(1736–1816)_-_84.16_-_Fyvie_Castle.jpg) | |
| Artist | Pompeo Batoni |
| Year | 1766 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 289.5 cm × 217 cm (114.0 in × 85 in) |
| Location | Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire |
Portrait of William Gordon is a 1766 portrait painting by the Italian artist Pompeo Batoni.[1] It depicts the Scottish soldier Colonel William Gordon. Gordon was on his Grand Tour when he sat to Batoni in Rome. He is shown wearing the uniform of the 105th Foot, a Highland regiment of the British Army which he had commanded during the Seven Years' War. Distinctly Neoclassical in tone, the Huntly Tartan plaids resemble those of a Roman toga. A statue of Roma and the ruins of the Colosseum in the background reinforces this association.[2] Gordon likely chose to be depicted in Highland costume, at a time when it was still had lingering association with Jacobite sympathies. James Boswell saw the painting in Batoni's studio during his visit to Rome.[3]
The painting is in the collection of Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, controlled by the National Trust for Scotland.[4]
