Capt. Courtney is portrayed wearing a red coatee with green facings and a red sash; his shoulder belt badge and green facings indicating he is of the 5th Regiment of Foot. Courtney is recorded as doing battle with the Napoleonic French Army through Portugal, persuing them across Spain and into France, where they were finally defeated at Toulouse and with that the first exile of Napoleon to Elba and the restoration of the French monarchy in 1814.
The term ‘Redcoat’, from around the date of this portrait, was often used colloquially in reference to the British Infantryman; General George Washington for example did so during the Siege of Boston in a letter to Joseph Reed.
Introduced in 1747 in a series of clothing regulations and royal warrants the red coatee was worn with various different coloured facings to distinguish the various regiments. Green, as worn in the present portrait, was for the 5th Regiment of Foot, Yellow for the 44th and buff for the 3rd.
With thanks to Nathaniel of Antique-Swords (.com) for identifying the sitter in this portrait.
Item Code: 5309
£ 7250
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