Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on loan
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-dobson-153" aria-label="More by William Dobson" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William Dobson</a>
Portrait an Officer
Bequeathed by Mrs E.K. Hornsby-Drake 1932
adults
clothing and personal items
English Civil War, 1642-9
gun, rifle
helmet
history
man
military
military
objects
people
sash
soldier
weapons
work and occupations
<p>Dobson was one of the few top-level painters of his era to have been born in Britain. The rather Venetian freedom with which he handles paint suggests that he must have had access to Charles I's exceptional collection of Italian paintings.This unknown officer holds a horseman's pistol in his left hand. In his right hand is a charging-spanner, which contains priming powder and a spanner for winding up the pistol lock. After the outbreak of the English Civil War, Dobson spent the final part of his life in Oxford, where Charles I and his court lived in near-siege conditions.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
1 January 2001 – 25 January 2013
2013-01-25
1 January 2001 – 25 January 2013
2013-01-25
2001-01-01
Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK)
http://www.vam.ac.uk
2001-01-01
Long term loan
Loan-out
1 January 2001
1 August 2009 – 28 February 2027
2027-02-28
2009-08-01
Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK)
http://www.vam.ac.uk
2001-01-01
Long loan to V&A
Loan-out
29 October 2018 – 12 May 2019
2019-05-12
29 October 2018 – 12 May 2019
2019-05-12
2018-10-29
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2018-10-29
William Dobson
Collection based display
Portrait of an Officer
support: 1022 × 762 mm
Bequeathed by Mrs E.K. Hornsby-Drake 1932
<p>Dobson was one of the few top-level painters of  his era to have been born in Britain. The rather  Venetian freedom with which he handles paint  suggests that he must have had access to Charles  I's exceptional collection of Italian <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>paintings</span></a>.<br/>This unknown officer holds a horseman's pistol in  his left hand. In his right hand is a  charging-spanner, which contains priming powder  and a spanner for winding up the pistol lock.  After the outbreak of the English Civil War,  Dobson spent the final part of his life in  Oxford, where Charles I and his <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/court" title="Glossary definition for 'Court'"><span>court</span></a> lived in  near-siege conditions.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
adults clothing and personal items English Civil War, 1642-9 gun, rifle helmet history man military military objects people sash soldier weapons work and occupations