David Morier (1705? – ) was a Swiss-born British painter who specialised in portraits, military subjects and historical scenes around and after the time of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Equestrian portraits
When it came to portraits of kings and nobles, David Morier specialised in equestrian portraits. Morier painted equestrian portraits of some of the most famous aristocratic figures of his time, including King George II, King George III, Frederick, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, King Frederick II of Prussia, King Frederick V of Denmark, John Manners, Marquess of Granby, William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian, John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier, Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke and Maurice de Saxe.
First notable painting David Morier's first notable painting was an equestrian portrait of King George II, with a view of the Battle of Dettingen beyond. The painting was later engraved by Simon François Ravenet and published by the artist. This equestrian portrait is part of the Royal Collection. A copy of the engraving is in the British Museum.The British Museum – Print: Equestrian portrait of George II, The British Museum number: 1870,1008.2574, etching and engraving by Simon François Ravenet after David Morier. Description: Equestrian portrait of George II, on horseback to left, with truncheon in hand, with the battle of Dettingen in the background, after the painting in the Royal Collection; the royal coat of arms in the lower margin. A related painting is in the Stirling Maxwell Collection, Pollok House, Glasgow
Early years Little is known of David Morier's early life. Even his exact year of birth is unknown. Born in Bern, Morier initially trained as a miniaturist and portrait painter. Later, he gained prominence for his vivid and detailed depictions of military scenes. Therefore, Morier was predominantly considered a soldiers painter, influenced by the equestrian portraits of Jan Wyck, who, like Morier, made a career in England as a painter of sports and military scenes. Rosebery's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers, London: An equestrian portrait of an officer of the first troop of horse Grenadier Guards on a bay charger with a trooper on the right – by David Morier, Auction 4 June 2020, lot 156, lot essayChristie's:Portrait of a gentleman in red military uniform – by David Morier, Auction 21 November 1980, London, lot 97, lot essaySikart: David Morier, Lexicon on art in Switzerland. Website retrieved on 5 April 2024A Dictionary of Artists of the English School: David Morier, with notices of their lives and work, by Samuel Redgrave. New Edition revised to the present date. George Bell & Sons, York Street, London, Covent Garden, 1878, p. 296
An English career under royal patronage
In 1743, David Morier was introduced to Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, by Sir Everard Fawkener, in Germany, where the Duke of Cumberland was on campaign. In the same year, Morier arrived in England, and obtained the patronage of the Duke of Cumberland, who was the effective commander-in-chief of the British Army in the 1750s. From 1752 until 1764 Morier was employed as limner (painter) to the Duke of Cumberland on an annual salary of GBP 100. However, his name also appears regularly in royal accounts from 1764 to 1767.Dictionary of National Biography: David Morier, Morehead–Miles, edited by Sidney Lee, Macmillan & Co., New-York – Smith, Elder & Co. London, Vol. XXXIX, 1894, p. 49Royal Collection Trust: David Morier, biography. Website retrieved on 5 April 2024Christie's: H.R.H. William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, full length, on horseback, wearing frock uniform of the First Guards with the ribbon and star of the Garter, holding a baton, a view of the Battle of Culloden beyond – by David Morier, Auction 18 March 2005, New York, Property from the Estate of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, lot 130. Estimate: US$ 20,000 – US$ 30,000. Lot essay with biographical details about the live and work of both: Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, and David MorierRyan R. Gale: A Soldier-Like Way – The Material Culture of the British Infantry 1751–1768, Track of the Wolf, Inc., USA, 2007, p. 2
Kings, dukes, earls, a smuggler – and the Godolphin Arabian David Morier produced a number of equestrian portraits of his patron, the Duke of Cumberland, and other members of the Royal Family, including King George II and King George III. Some of these portraits were later engraved, such as the equestrian portraits of King George II and King George III by Simon François Ravenet and Peter Mazell respectively. Furthermore, some of the equestrian portraits of the Duke of Cumberland were engraved by John Faber the Younger and Louis-Simon Lempereur.A Dictionary of Artists of the English School: David Morier, with notices of their lives and work by Samuel Redgrave. New Edition revised to the present date. George Bell & Sons, York Street, London, Covent Garden, 1878, p. 349National Portrait Gallery, London: King George II, line engraving by Simon François Ravenet, after David Morier, 1743 or after, (NPG D10762). Website retrieved on 5 April 2024National Portrait Gallery, London: King George II, line engraving by Simon François Ravenet, after and published by David Morier, December 1757, (NPG D47457). Website retrieved on 5 April 2024National Portrait Gallery, London: King George III, with John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier, line engraving by Peter Mazell, after David Morier, 1769, (NPG D33166). Website retrieved on 5 April 2024National Portrait Gallery, London: William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Engraving (mezzotint) by John Faber Jr, after David Morier, 1753, (NPG D7941). Website retrieved on 5 April 2024Victoria & Albert Museum, London: Portrait of His Royal Highness William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Engraving by Louis-Simon Lempereur after David Morier. Website retrieved on 5 April 2024
It exists a Chinese reverse-painted mirror after the 1751 engraving by Louis-Simon Lempereur of the Duke of Cumberland's equestrian portrait by David Morier, which the duke commissioned around 1750 to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Culloden. This reverse-painted mirror forms part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2024.Metropolitan Museum of Art: Equestrian portrait of William, Duke of Cumberland (1721–1765), reverse-painted mirror, Canton, China, second half Qianlong Period. Signatures: Bottom left, D. Mornier pinxt., bottom right L. L'Empereur. Gilded and sanded softwood frame H 68, W 56,5 cm. Accession Number: 2024.124. Provenance: Hôtel Drouot, Paris (lot 1747); Rolleston Ltd., London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (purchased from Rolleston Ltd, London, in 2024)Royal Collection Trust: His Royal Highness William Augustus Duke of Cumberland, engraving by Louis-Simon Lempereur, after David Morier, RCIN 604065
An exotic element in David Morier's work is the portrait of John Pixley (birth unknown – in or after 1749), a smuggler and custom-house officer. John Pixley's portrait was later engraved by John Faber the Younger.The British Museum – Catalogue of engraved British portraits preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum: John Pixley painted by David Morier in 1749, engraved (mezzotinto) by J. Faber jun., by Freeman O'Donoghue F.S.A., volume III (L–R), printed by order of the Trustees, London, 1908, p. 477National Portrait Gallery, London: John Pixley – smuggler and customs officer, Engraving (mezzotint) by John Faber Jr, after David Morier, 1749, (NPG D40256). Website retrieved on 5 April 2024
David Morier also produced several small paintings for King George III for 10 guineas apiece. Furthermore, in the 1760s, Morier was commissioned by Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, to paint several paintings, including eight paintings of the 15th light dragoons.
The Godolphin Arabian
The most famous horse portrait by David Morier is that of the Godolphin Arabian. The horse, one of three stallions that founded the modern Thoroughbred, was named after his best-known owner, Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin. Morier's portrait of the Arabian horse was engraved by John Faber the Younger in 1753 and copied by George Stubbs.
The painting shows the Godolphin Arabian, standing in profile, in a grassy yard enclosed by a high brick wall, with a stable to the right, the door open, and the stable cat, named Grimalkin, sitting on the ground looking at the horse. David Morier's portrait of the Godolphin Arabian is the only painting of this famous horse painted from life. The painting is on display at Houghton Hall.The British Museum – Print: The portraiture of the Bay-Arabian, the property of the Right Honourable, the Earl of Godolphin, The British Museum number: 2010,7081.5278. Mezzotint (1753) by John Faber the Younger after David Morier. Description: Portrait of the Godolphin Arabian horse, standing in profile to right, in a grassy yard enclosed by a high brick wall, with a stable to right, the door open, and a cat sitting on the ground looking at the horse, after David Morier. The painting, which is the only painting of the Godolphin Arabian done from life, is at Houghton Hall, NorfolkNational Trust Collections: The Godolphin Barb or The Godolphin Arabian (c. 1724 – 1753) with Grimalkin the stable cat (after George Stubbs after David Morier), Collection, Godolphin, Cornwall, NT 169581.3
Soldier portraits
David Morier is well known for his soldier portraits, where he placed great emphasis on accurately depicting the details of their uniforms, as well as he did in his equestrian portraits with the horse tack. In 1747, Morier accompanied the Duke of Cumberland to the Low Countries, where he painted portraits of soldiers of the Royal Artillery and a series of sixty paintings of the allied troops under the duke's command. Today, these paintings are all in the Royal Collection.Royal Collection Trust: David Morier – The Grenadier Paintings, 114 Pictures of Military Costume (1ft 4in x 1ft 8in), recorded in the Upper Library at Buckingham Palace in 1819. Commissioned by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. Website retrieved on 5 April 2024
The British uniform regulations of 1751 In 1751, the first British uniform regulations were issued by royal warrant and David Morier, commissioned by the Duke of Cumberland, began another series of portraits of soldiers, including the light dragoon regiments raised in 1759 and 1760. It was these soldier portraits, in particular the so-called Grenadier Paintings, for which David Morier became famous.Carl Franklin: British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783 – Including the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence, Pen & Sword Military, Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK, 2012, p. 4
The Grenadier Paintings
The Grenadier Paintings are large panels, depicting the uniforms and the equipment of each of the – at that time – 49 regiments of marching infantry, plus the three regiments of the Guards infantry. On each panel three grenadier privates of three different regiments are portrayed, in numerical order and in a variety of poses, from formal drill to route march order. Morier painted the Grenadier Paintings between 1751 and circa 1760. Once again, David Morier's care and attention to detail have provided a very valuable record of the British Armed Forces material culture in this period.Ryan R. Gale: A Soldier-Like Way – The Material Culture of the British Infantry 1751-1768, Track of the Wolf Inc., USA, 2007, pp. 3, 27, 34, 41, 46, 50, 57, 63, 69, 71, 72, 75, 79, 86, 93, 103, 120, 124,
A visual record for the Duke of Cumberland