drawing
- Museum number
- 1847,0326.17
- Description
-
One of the studies of portrait figures taking part in the ceremonies of the Order of the Garter on St George's day, April 23rd, Captain Richard Vaughan, a poor Knight of Windsor; a blind man with eyes closed, leaning on a stick and feeling his way towards the left, wearing skull-cap and mantle over his cassock
Black chalk (some soaked in oil to darken the tone) and white chalk, on blue-grey paper
- Production date
- 1663-1671 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 451 millimetres
-
Width: 336 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Stainton & White 1987
The Poor Knights or Alms-Knights (predecessors of the present day Military Knights) of the Order of the Garter were veteran soldiers in needy circumstances, intended, according to Edward III's Statutes of Institution (1349) as a brotherhood to pray for the souls of the founder, succeeding sovereigns and the Knights Companion of the Order. Their dress was a red cloak, bearing the cross of St George but without the encircling Garter: this can be seen on the shoulder of one of the Knights in 1862,0712.649. On the Restoration of Charles II, the Poor Knights were chosen from soldiers who had served his father with particular distinction during the Civil War. Of those drawn by Lely, only one can be identified - Captain Richard Vaughan (1620-1700), 1847,0326.17. He was admitted as a Poor Knight on 28 July 1663, having fought with much courage for Charles I and sustained "great sufferings in his means and hurts in his body", including the loss of his sight.
Of Lely's surviving figure drawings, those of the Poor Knights are closest to Dutch draughtsmanship of the period.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1960-61 London, RA, 'The Age of Charles II', no.520
1978/9 Nov-Mar, NPG, 'Sir Peter Lely', no. 88
1980, BM, 'British Figure Drawings' (no.cat)
1987 June-Aug, BM 'Hilliard to Hogarth' no. 94
1987 Sept-Nov, New Haven, 'Hilliard to Hogarth', no. 94
- Acquisition date
- 1847
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1847,0326.17