David Morier

David Morier, (1705? – c. 8 January 1770) was an Anglo-Swiss painter of portraits, military subjects and historical scenes around and after the time of the War of the Austrian Succession and the related Jacobite rising of 1745.

Equestrian portraits
When it came to portraits of kings and nobles, David Morier specialised in equestrian portraits. 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.

First notable painting
David Morier's first notable painting was an equestrian portrait of King George II, with a view of the Battle of Dettingen beyond. The painting was later engraved by Simon François Ravenet and published by the artist. This equestrian portrait is part of the Royal Collection. A copy of the engraving is in the British Museum.

Early years
Little is known of David Morier's early life. Even his exact year of birth is unknown. Born in Bern, Morier initially trained as a miniaturist and portrait painter. Later, he gained prominence for his vivid and detailed depictions of military scenes. Therefore, Morier was predominantly considered a soldiers painter, influenced by the equestrian portraits of Jan Wyck, who, like Morier, made a career in England as a painter of sports and military scenes.

An English career under royal patronage
In 1743, David Morier was introduced to Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, by Sir Everard Fawkener, in Germany, where the Duke of Cumberland was on campaign. 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. From 1752 until 1764 Morier was employed as limner (painter) to the Duke of Cumberland on an annual salary of GBP100. However, his name also appears regularly in royal accounts from 1764 to 1767.

Kings, dukes, earls, a smuggler – and the Godolphin Arabian
David Morier produced a number of equestrian portraits of his patron, the Duke of Cumberland, and other members of the Royal Family, including King George II and King George III. Some of these portraits were later engraved, such as the equestrian portraits of King George II and King George III by Simon François Ravenet and Peter Mazell respectively. Furthermore, some of the equestrian portraits of the Duke of Cumberland were engraved by John Faber the Younger and Louis-Simon Lempereur.

It exists a Chinese reverse-painted mirror after the 1751 engraving by Louis-Simon Lempereur of the Duke of Cumberland's equestrian portrait by David Morier, which the duke commissioned around 1750 to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Culloden. This reverse-painted mirror forms part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2024.

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. John Pixley's portrait was later engraved by John Faber the Younger.

David Morier also produced several small paintings for King George III for 10 guineas apiece. Furthermore, in the 1760s, Morier was commissioned by Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, to paint several paintings, including eight paintings of the 15th light dragoons.

The Godolphin Arabian
The most famous horse portrait by David Morier is that of the Godolphin Arabian. The horse, one of three stallions that founded the modern Thoroughbred, was named after his best-known owner, Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin. Morier's portrait of the Arabian horse was engraved by John Faber the Younger in 1753 and copied by George Stubbs.

The painting shows the Godolphin Arabian, standing in profile, in a grassy yard enclosed by a high brick wall, with a stable to the right, the door open, and the stable cat, named Grimalkin, sitting on the ground looking at the horse. David Morier's portrait of the Godolphin Arabian is the only painting of this famous horse painted from life. The painting is on display at Houghton Hall.

Soldier portraits
David Morier is well known for his soldier portraits, where he placed great emphasis on accurately depicting the details of their uniforms, as well as he did in his equestrian portraits with the horse tack. In 1747, Morier accompanied the Duke of Cumberland to the Low Countries, where he painted portraits of soldiers of the Royal Artillery and a series of sixty paintings of the allied troops under the duke's command. Today, these paintings are all in the Royal Collection.

The British uniform regulations of 1751
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. It was these soldier portraits, in particular the so-called Grenadier Paintings, for which David Morier became famous.

The Grenadier Paintings
The Grenadier Paintings are large panels, depicting the uniforms and the equipment of each of the – at that time – 49 regiments of marching infantry, plus the three regiments of the Guards infantry. On each panel three grenadier privates of three different regiments are portrayed, in numerical order and in a variety of poses, from formal drill to route march order. Morier painted the Grenadier Paintings between 1751 and circa 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.

A visual record for the Duke of Cumberland
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. When the duke died in 1765, his second residence, Cranbourne Lodge, housed 106 of Morier's soldier portraits, including paintings of the allied troops that were once under the duke's command. The duke's appreciation for Morier's work went so far, that only paintings by David Morier hung in his picture gallery.

An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745
David Morier's most recognisable work is An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745. The painting depicts the Highland charge at the climax of the Battle of Culloden, when the charging Highlanders faced off against Col. Barrell's 4th Regiment of Foot. 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. The painting remains one of the best contemporary source on the material culture of both: the British and the Jacobite forces in this conflict. The painting now hangs in the King's Ante-Chamber of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Later years and death
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. After the duke lost his position, also David Morier's career went into decline. Morier appears to have lost his patronage either then, or at the duke's death in 1765. He was jailed for debt in the Fleet prison in 1769 and died there in January the next year. His colleagues of the Society of Artists paid to have him buried at St. James's Church, Clerkenwell on 8 January 1770.

Exhibitions
A founder member of the Society of Artists, David Morier exhibited at its first exhibition in 1760, and again in 1762, 1765, and 1768, sending equestrian portraits, and in the last year a painting titled An Old Horse and the Farmer.

Legacy
David Morier's legacy endures through his influence on the portrayal of military history in art. His contributions to military art are significant, as his works provide invaluable visual evidence of 18th-century warfare. His attention to detail and careful depiction of military uniforms and equipment have made his paintings important historical documents.

Aside from his military works, Morier also painted landscapes and portraits. His works are held in various collections, including the Royal Collection and the National Army Museum.

Virtual Gallery

 * Selected paintings by David Morier on Militaria Helvetica