David Morier

– c. 8 January 1770) 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.

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.

David Morier's first notable painting was an equestrian portrait of King George II, with a view of the Battle of Dettingen beyond.

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.

[17][18] 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.

[19][20] David Morier also produced several small paintings for King George III for 10 guineas apiece.

Morier's portrait of the Arabian horse was engraved by John Faber the Younger in 1753 and copied by George Stubbs.

[8][24][2] 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.

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.

[26][2][25] When David Morier had finished the Grenadier Paintings, the Duke of Cumberland had a visual record of every regular British regiment that had ever come under his command.

Morier accompanied the Duke of Cumberland's army to Scotland, and while he may have been an eye-witness at the Battle of Culloden, the subject of his famous painting, he did have the opportunity to make sketches of the clothing and arms of the Jacobite prisoners in the aftermath.

[28][29][30][7] In 1757, the Duke of Cumberland's military career was ended by his disgrace following his defeat at the Battle of Hastenbeck and his subsequent signing of the Convention of Klosterzeven.

His attention to detail and careful depiction of military uniforms and equipment have made his paintings important historical documents.

Considered one of the most expensive paintings by David Morier ever sold at auction: The equestrian portrait of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn , wearing the Order of the Garter . [ 1 ]
David Morier's patron: Equestrian portrait of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland , by David Morier.
The Godolphin Arabian and the cat Grimalkin, engraved by John Faber the Younger in 1753, after David Morier (initials of the artists).
An Encampment of British Troops (Royal Artillery) under the command of the Duke of Cumberland in the Low Countries , by David Morer. [ 23 ]
The Battle of Dettingen on 27 June 1743, showing King George II on horseback on a gray horse . The rider next to the king in the blue frock is most likely his son, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland . Painted by David Morier.
An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745 , by David Morier.