David Morier

Portrait of a gentleman in red military uniform

David Morier was born in Berne, Switzerland in approximately 1705. He came to England in 1743 and obtained the patronage of William, Duke of Cumberland, who became his most frequent sitter. Morier’s most recognizable work is probably An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745 more commonly known as The Battle of Culloden. His work is marked by a meticulous attention to detail in uniform and equipment and he was much in demand as a portraitist by members of the Royal family, army officers and others in aristocratic society. He produced a number of equestrian portraits, of his patron and other senior officers, as well as his greatest series of works, known as the Grenadier Paintings, which document the uniforms and equipment of the Army in the years leading up to the Seven Years’ War. Following Cumberland’s fall from grace, Morier’s career went into decline. He was jailed for debt and sent to Fleet Prison in London in 1769 and died there on January 8, 1770.