The Secret Portrait

The Secret Portrait

Jacobite

An anamorphic hidden painting of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). At first glance the object appears to be a smear of oil paints on a black wooden board, but when paired with a mirrored cylinder, the true nature of this unique object is revealed. Prince Charlie is reflected right back at you! Discovered by chance in a London junk shop in 1924 and purchased for £8 by the museum’s founder, Victor Hodgson, it has been a star object in our collection ever since. In the 18th century it was treasonable to support the exiled Stuart dynasty, so their supporters known as Jacobites, devised ways to secretly display their loyalty. They developed an elaborate series of codes and symbols to hide their allegiances from the ruling Hanoverian regime. This is one of the most unusual examples of Jacobite material culture. The portrait would have been used to drink toasts to the exiled Prince. If a non-Jacobite came into the room, the cylinder could be whisked away and allegiances hidden. The Secret Portrait featured in the West Highland Museum’s “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign” exhibition, 1925.

Jacobites

1745_rising,objects,jacobite

18th century

vanessa

Physical Object

2

05/04/2021

L 356 mm X W 279 mm

West Highland Museum

find,51.50532341149335,-0.12187957763671876;

West Highlands Museum

TEXT

3

oil on wood

756